The vigilante group prevented the innocent trio from moving on and summoned the police. They seized the men's phones, and one of the mob uploaded photos of them to Facebook, boasting she had ‘smashed a paedophile ring’. Her post has since been shared more than 13,000 times.

Martin Richardson, a local seafront trader, told the Southend Echo he was concerned the group's actions could have a detrimental effect on tourism in the town.

Mr Richardson said: “People have now got it in their heads there are paedophiles lurking around the seafront when these tourists ... were only taking pictures of the fountains so they could suggest something similar back home.