SOUTHEND’S traders are celebrating one of the most successful business years in five years.

The sunny weather over the Bank Holiday weekend and recent investment in the town centre has seen tourist numbers booming.

Traders on the seafront are celebrating in particular.

Rory Course, owner of Southend Angling Centre, Pier Approach, said: “Trade recently has been very reasonable.

“I have been trading here for 30 years and I think this has been one of the best years in the past four or five.

“It can’t compare to how it was when we first opened, but trade is definitely steady.”

However, he said that the pier train not running due to cracks appearing on one of the supports meant that a lot of fishermen were going elsewhere, which was affecting his trade.

He added he thinks it is a mixture of things that has seen the town’s tourism pick up.

“The new lagoon is good as it means that people can now come and swim even when the tide is out,” he said.

“I have started to sell seaside things as well as the proper fishing equipment and that is very popular.

“The weather last year was poor so it wasn’t going to be good for the traders, but the weather has been better so far this year and this Bank Holiday weekend.”

Other traders along the seafront also reported good trade and thousands of people could be seen enjoying the beach, lagoon and attractions.

Karen Slater, who has been landlady of The Falcon pub for three years, added that the sunny weather always meant they were busy.

“It has been good so far this year and we have been busy,” she added.

“It is the weather - good weather is good for business.

“The only month that hasn’t been good was July.

“We think this will be a very successful year.”

Southend’s £1.25 million lagoon opened in July and is proving to be a popular attraction.