PORT Antonio Mayor Paul Thompson has indicated that Long Bay Beach in Portland could be developed and marketed as a public beach if tourism interests come on board.

“…I think I will have discussions with TPDCo (Tourism Product Development Company) sometime to come and see how well they can assist to make this beach into a real good facility for both tourists and the residents of the area,” Thompson told the

Jamaica Observer North & East when quizzed on the beach’s development.The mayor, who was participating in clean-up activities at the beach on Labour Day last Tuesday, said, for too long, the beach has remained in a “deplorable” condition.“…These are the sort of things that I have inherited and I am here for just five months now, but I can’t stand the sight of this beach because this beach is in my area. So I’ve joined the residents of the community to clean the beach,” he said.Thompson said with the assistance of Long Bay residents he will ensure that the beach remains clean.“Whenever I call them and say ‘Let’s have a clean-up day on the beach’ they are more than willing to assist. So I don’t think I will have any problem with cleaning.”Other activities on the day included the refurbishing of Neville Antonio Park in Port Antonio.Thompson said the idea behind sprucing up the park is to leave a lasting impression not only on locals but tourists who opt to visit the parish.“This park is next door to the Errol Flynn Marina and we would like to enhance the beauty of the park so that the first impression tourists get when they come to the parish lasts,” he shared.Here are some highlights from the beach clean-up.