LONDON: Thousands of online visitors have been drawn to an English beach by pictures of turquoise seas, golden sands and palm trees, but risk disappointment as it is only a virtual surfers’ paradise.

Nearly 7,000 hits have been recorded at www.porthemmet.com, which showcases the beach in Cornwall, southwest England, an area well known internationally for powerful surfer-friendly waves and attractive beaches.

“If you are planning a trip to Cornwall then be sure to visit Porthemmet Beach,” says the website. “It is regarded as Cornwall’s best beach by both the Cornish people and frequent visitors to the county.

“Situated in north Cornwall, Porthemmet is the largest beach in the county.

Due to an influx from the Gulf Stream, Porthemmet has very warm waters and looks more like a tropical paradise than a beach in the UK,” it says.

The problem is, “Porthemmet Beach” does not exist.

It is the creation of Jonty Haywood, a native of Cornwall in southwest England and a Cambridge University graduate who is now teaching in Thailand, a magnet for British and other tourists seeking tropical beaches.

Haywood denied the website was aimed at promoting Cornish nationalism by making fun of tourists. Emmet, literally ant, is a derogatory word for tourist in the Cornish dialect.

“Most people think it’s funny,” Haywood was quoted as saying in British media, including The Independent newspaper.

On the website, visitors are warned: “It should be noted that there is a private joke in Cornwall whereby locals will pretend not to know where Porthemmet Beach is.

“Don’t be fooled, every Cornish person knows about this beach, they are just having some fun. Tell them that you are an ‘emmet’ (someone that loves Cornwall).”South West Tourism chief executive Malcolm Bell dismissed chances of a backlash on Cornish tourism and believed it would actually spur on tourism.—AFP