Riga mayor blasts drunken British tourists

Aug 5, 2009, 8:50 GMT

Riga - The mayor of the Latvian capital, Riga, has launched an outspoken attack on drunken British tourists which he says are ruining his city's reputation.

Speaking to weekly publication Rigas Laiks, Mayor Nils Usakovs said he was tired of British stag groups 'pissing around' in his city.

'It is not politically correct [to say so], but sadly, this is their specialization,' Usakovs said.

Riga should try to attract more civilized visitors from other countries, he added.

So-called 'stag parties' usually consist of large groups of friends celebrating the impending wedding of one of their number and are a British rite of passage. They are viewed as a last night of freedom and excess, but frequently degenerate into loutish and sometimes illegal behaviour.

Usakovs' outburst came as two British citizens are standing trial in Latvia after being extradited from the UK.

Matthew Neale, 35, and David Birkinshaw, 33 are accused of assaulting a police officer in a nightclub while part of a stag party in June 2008.

The authorities in Riga have made several attempts to tackle problems caused by large groups of young male holidaymakers including setting up a special English-language tourist hotline.

Several incidents of tourists using the Latvian Freedom Monument as a toilet have caused particular outrage.

Riga became a favourite target for stag parties after a British men's magazine named it Europe's number one stag destination.

The British embassy in Riga publishes on its website tips for Britons visiting the city. Advice includes 'Do not urinate in public' and 'Respect others, do not use abusive language.'

However, some overseas visitors claim that they have become the target of scams including extortion and overcharging.

The American embassy in Riga has published a 'blacklist' of bars and nightclubs that should be avoided.

Mayor Usakovs is not the first high-profile Latvian politician to speak out against the antics of British stag parties. In 2008 government minister Mareks Seglins caused controversy by describing the English as a 'nation of pigs'.