DORSET seaside towns are at risk of losing their traditional Punch and Judy shows due to shocking levels of abuse being hurled at staff.

Just three Punch and Judy shows remain in existence in England - two of which are based in Dorset, at Weymouth and Swanage. The iconic and quirky seaside tradition dates back more than 100 years, Weymouth's show having been established in 1880 and Swanage's in 1904.

But Swanage's Punch and Judy professor Joe Burns said he and Weymouth professor Mark Poulton are both sick of waking up in the morning and not knowing whether they and their staff will face verbal abuse from audience members not wanting to pay the £2 fee to watch the performance.

Prof Burns said the abuse and swearing comes from men and women of all ages and backgrounds who do not seem to care that young children are present.

Dorset Echo: Swanage Punch and Judy professor Joe BurnsSwanage Punch and Judy professor Joe Burns

He said the problem has always existed but appears to be worse this year, with "a lot of verbal abuse" being hurled at donation collectors. Fortunately there have been no incidents of physical violence.

"There's a lot of 'f-ing and blinding' - it's not ok swearing around kids," he said. "It definitely feels more pronounced this year, people are getting more angry - each day you wake up not knowing what's going to happen and how people are going to react.

"The collectors that work for both Mark and myself have done this for years - it's a very personable job, we always use people who are friendly and smiley and happy - it's emotionally distressing for them to come to work and be abused.

"If we have to worry each year about the level of abuse we're getting, you start to think 'what's the point of coming?'"

The professor believes part of the problem is that people take umbrage at being asked to pay because there is a misconception that the Punch and Judy shows receive financial support from outside sources, such as the council.

Dorset Echo: Mark Poulton is Weymouth's Punch and Judy professorMark Poulton is Weymouth's Punch and Judy professor

But in fact operators rely solely on audience donations to cover their overheads, pay staff and make a living themselves.

"On the whole people are really happy to give us money but it's the small minority who can be really quite horrible and abusive," Prof Burns said. "A lot of people think that we're funded to be down at the beach, however both myself and Mark pay to be down here - neither of us live in Dorset so we're away from friends and family.

"We do it for the love but it's also our job - but the money isn't amazing - we're doing it for the passion and to keep the tradition of Punch and Judy on the beach - it's a heritage craft and there's a real danger of it being lost.

"We pay our licenses, we pay our insurances - people think we make a lot of money but some years I'm lucky if I'm able to pay myself minimum wage."

It comes after a tough 18 months of not being able to operate through lockdown - putting both Swanage and Weymouth's Punch and Judy shows in a "precarious" position according to Prof Burns.

Dorset Echo:

He is calling for audiences to be supportive and respectful and would also welcome support from councils, with Weymouth's show in need of a lock-up or storage space over the winter.

"We both love working here - we want to keep coming back," he added. "But it just makes it uncomfortable especially when you're away from your own home - you just don't want to wake up in the morning and not know if someone's going to tell you to f-off or not.

"What we do here is open air - it's theatre for the people in the most accessible place possible.

"Donkeys, fish and chips, Punch and Judy... it's really important for the heritage of these coastal towns to continue - their 'brand' is to offer an old fashioned day at the seaside."