Welcome to Misery-by-sea: Dilapidated homes, boarded-up shops and rubbish-strewn streets. Why Jaywick Sands is OFFICIALLY the most deprived village in England

By Mark Duell

Published: 12:49 EDT, 3 April 2013 | Updated: 09:35 EDT, 4 April 2013

Once billed as an idyllic seaside holiday village, it’s now blighted by dilapidated homes, boarded-up shops and discarded mattresses.

This is East Jaywick in Essex - England's most deprived place, according to the Government’s Indices of Multiple Deprivation. It is mainly home to temporary chalets built by businessman Frank Stedman, who bought marshes there in 1928 hoping to create a holiday village.

Jaywick, the down-at-heel suburb of nearby Clacton, was ranked as the most deprived of all 32,482 small wards in England and Wales. It also has the greatest number of young people not in employment, education or training, with one third claiming Jobseeker's Allowance.

Changes to the benefits and tax system which came in on Monday included a cut in housing benefit payments for working-age social housing tenants whose property is deemed larger than they need, and council tax support payments now being administered locally.

The photographs - by Oli Scarff of Getty Images - were taken as Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith yesterday insisted he would take ‘no bloody lessons’ from those people calling for him to live on £53 a week, saying he had been on the breadline twice.

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Run down: The eastern part of Jaywick, around Brooklands, was declared the country's 'most deprived' neighbourhood, and it's easy to see why from these photographs

Wish you were here? Dilapidated properties stand in the seaside town of East Jaywick, Essex, which is officially the most deprived place in England

Depressed area: A man stands near dilapidated properties in the seaside town of East Jaywick, Essex, which is the most deprived place in England

Seafood: A sign advertising jellied eels, whelks and mussels is pictured on a closed shop in the seaside town of East Jaywick, the most deprived place in England

Rubbish: A giant soft toy panda is discarded in front of dilapidated properties in the seaside town of East Jaywick, the most deprived place in England

Dilapidated: The area has the greatest number of young people not in employment, education or training; one third of 16 to 24 year-olds claim Jobseeker's Allowance

Strewn everywhere: Mattresses and other pieces of rubbish are discarded in front of dilapidated properties in the seaside town of East Jaywick, Essex

Falling down: The down-at-heel suburb of Clacton in Essex pipped some of the most notoriously hard-up urban locations to top the deprivation league table

Overgrown grass: East Jaywick is home to many retirees and jobs are scarce for younger residents in the rundown neighbourhood

Lack of nightlife: Two youngsters walk near this dilapidated building called Mermaid Inn in the seaside town of East Jaywick, the most deprived place in England

Puddles: Camper vans are parked near dilapidated properties in the seaside town of East Jaywick, Essex, which has become badly run-down

No trading here: A dilapidated and boarded-up shop stands in the seaside town of East Jaywick, Essex, the most deprived place in England

Public transport: A woman in a red coat waits for a First bus at a stop in the seaside town of East Jaywick, Essex, the most deprived place in England

No sailing: A boat stands in an overgrown garden in front of dilapidated properties in the seaside town of East Jaywick, Essex

Sticking together: A yellow Neighbourhood Watch sign is displayed in the seaside town of East Jaywick, the most deprived place in England

Poverty: The Government's 2011 Indices of Multiple Deprivation measure ranks Jaywick as the most deprived of all 32,482 small wards in England and Wales