Police have moved to calm tensions at a South Devon beauty spot where alleged rogue fishing gangs have been involved in fresh confrontations with locals.

More than a quarter of a million people have watched a video posted online by Brixham fisherman Tristan Northway in which he confronts an alleged gang in the quarry at Berry Head.

One member of the alleged gang tells him he is carrying a knife.

Mr Northway accuses them of leaving rubbish and human excrement strewn across the quarry and intimidating local people who challenge them. He also accuses them of landing under-sized mackerel and bass, and using banned fishing tackle to do so.

Gangs from outside the area have been flouting local regulations for years in places such as Berry Head and Torquay’s Hopes Nose, landing ‘commercial’ quantities of fish to be taken away and sold.

Torbay Council now has a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) in force at Berry Head, which sets a limit of 20 mackerel a day to be caught by a person using a single rod and hook.

The order also bans camping, tents, shelters, litter, fires and barbecues.

Breaching the order comes with the risk of a £100 fixed penalty notice, with Torbay’s SWISCo Neighbourhood Enforcement Team patrolling the area regularly. The team has the power to ask people to pack up and leave the site.

But there have been reports this summer of local hobby anglers being forced out of the quarry, a makeshift shelter being used as a toilet and seals being pelted with rocks to keep them away from the fishing area.

Mr Northway said enough was enough.

“These people are ruining a site that Brixham people love and enjoy,” he said. “All we ask is that people come down and enjoy themselves, respect the rules and abide by them.

“Then there wouldn’t be a problem.”

Mr Northway made his video over the last weekend in July. In it he confronts a group of men of different nationalities fishing in the quarry, and challenges them on their catch of small mackerel and bass as well as the tackle they have used to land them. One of the men repeatedly tells him to call the police if he thinks there is a problem, and tells Mr Northway that he has a large knife.

He also says he is sleeping in the quarry.

In the wake of the video Brixham Police posted a statement on social media, saying: “We strongly advise people to not engage in confronting or antagonising anyone at the site.

“It is also against the rules of the PSPO and could be dangerous to that person or others.”

Brixham Town Council said it understood the strength of feeling around the quarry and the impact it was having on the local community and visitors, but it had no legal powers to enforce the PSPO itself.

A statement went on: “Many people have contacted the town council to express concerns about litter, human waste, dead fish being left behind and, in some cases, threatening behaviour towards those who simply wish to enjoy the area peacefully. We share these concerns.

“We know how much people care about Berry Head, and we are committed to working with all responsible organisations to find solutions. Together we want to see Berry Head enjoyed safely and respectfully by all.”

And a spokesperson for Torbay Council said: “The purpose of the PSPO is to help ensure that Berry Head remains a safe, welcoming, and accessible space for everyone to enjoy responsibly.

“Our Neighbourhood Enforcement Team conducts regular visits to Berry Head to engage with those fishing in the area. Their role is to engage, provide education about the PSPO and, where necessary, enforce, with the issuing of a fixed penalty notice being a last resort.

“We recognise and appreciate the concerns raised by members of the community, and will continue to work with them to continue various methods of effective enforcement.”

Mr Northway said one answer would be to lock the gate leading to the quarry, allowing genuine anglers and groups using the quarry access via a key pad.

And he admitted his confrontation with the gang could have escalated and become dangerous, but added: “It has taken that for the police and the council to say hang on, we’ve got a problem here.

“I am not condoning violence or damage, but people have got their breaking points. This has gone to new levels now, and you’ve got a local council and a local police force doing nothing about it.”