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With time and tides, and the Coastguard base, It's fallen out of favour as either beach or lovers point - but a few faithful do still go to take a splash in the brackish water. That's what Gregory Thurton tried to do a week ago - but here's what he encountered:

If you go to Belizean beach today - you'll be greeted by this tall wall. It's not very inviting, but one month ago Gregory Thurton - who's been swimming there for decades pressed his luck:

Gregory Thurton, Belizean Beach Regular
"I went there with my kids to take a swim which we normally do, with my grankids and they met me at the gate and told me I have to pay to go in. So I asked why it's a public beach. It should be a public beach. So they said, it's his, and he started to act up and he started to cuss up me and say, well, if I can't pay the the 5 dollars, then I don't have to go back there at all."

Then one of his guys came up with one of the big wrecking ball, told me, if I don't leave, if I don't leave, he will strike me with it. Then Boots came up, and he started to argue with me about, well, this is his property. And if I want to go to the beach, I got to get a boat and go around. I'm not allowed to pass through his place no more."

Jules Vasquez
"He said that you met with the investor. He says he's just a contractor. And he was there with the investor. And it's the investor who told you that in the future you'll have to pay and that if you want to get there, you have to get the boat. He said it's an investor who spoke to you."

Gregory Thurton, Belizean Beach Regular
"That is not true. It was one of the workers and Boots. It was one of the worker and Boots because we had a vicious argument there because he was trying to throw me off. And I told him I'm not going to pay any money to go there."

We met Boots Martinez at the area today where he insists, he is merely the contractor and we challenged him with Thurton's claims:

Jules Vasquez
"And Boots locked the area off. And then Boots tell him, he have to pay $5 a head for he and a family to swim here. And it was 15 of them. Your response?"

Boots Martinez, Contractor
"15. That's a lie. I recall one person came here. Me as the contractor here to - I am doing a job and I am working like anybody else."

Jules Vasquez
"So you're a merely a contractor. Because he said you're the owner."

Boots Martinez, Contractor
"Listen to me, check parcel 2422 and see who is the owner."

"I think the man name is Mr. Thurton and nobody charging him anything. As a matter of fact the investor who was there tell him well eventually when the beach fix up there will be a small fee of 5 dollars and he said who are the idiots who will collect from him who are the effing idiots who will collect for him. So the man tell him boss its better you go through the gate, this is private property."

Jules Vasquez
"He said you met the investor."

Gregory Thurton, Belizean Beach Regular
"That's a lie. That's a lie. I didn't meet no investor I met Boots in person."

And to prove it - he has this video of that day which shows him arguing with Boots:

Boots Martinez, Contractor
"And so what people must do now? go and announce that this is a private property?"

Gregory Thurton, Belizean Beach Regular
"Because it uses to be a public property."

Boots Martinez, Contractor
"This was never a public property. Never was. I am telling you from that round house go backwards."

"People are unreasonable. People takes Ministers like that are not human being, they want to tell you anything they have to tell you."

And so while that kind of settles who said what in the confrontation - the issue now is the public beach - which Thurton says is no longer accessible - but, again, Martinez disputes that:

Gregory Thurton, Belizean Beach Regular
"Well, I'm very disappointed because I grew up on the banks of the Sibun River and I spent a lot of my life back there. We go to school in Belize City and I had a lot of times when I had to travel from there to Belize City or from Belize City to there and that was like a halfway point for us."

Jules Vasquez
"But he says the real public access is the cylindrical building which is now broken down."

Gregory Thurton, Belizean Beach Regular
"That's a lie again because I even went to the, I write the mayor about it one time and told him, ask them if they could please fill up that area because it was, it was, it was filled with water."

Jules Vasquez
"You are saying that the Belizean beach that was the common area for swimming is where the remains of that cylindrical round house."

Boots Martinez, Contractor
"Going towards the building."

Jules Vasquez
"Okay, so now this area you're claiming is not what people used to come and socialize aa the Belizean beach?"

Boots Martinez, Contractor
"I think after a while when Coast Guard fence, people start to come to this side, this side of this land and start to come in here according to the, the investor."

Jules Vasquez
"Okay, but so, you know, it's always unpopular when you say your fence off a beach. They have a thing called a beach reserve, sea front reserve."

Boots Martinez, Contractor
"You are not fencing off no beach reserve. You are fencing off your private property. You see any fence behind me?"

"Listen to me, the 66 feet reserve is also there."

Jules Vasquez
"But how are you going to access it?"

Boots Martinez, Contractor
"By boat. How do you access reserve? by boat."

"Like what the investor said to the person, the 66 feet reserve is there. So he ask how will he get there. The man said you can come by boat. You have access to it. You don't see any fence at the 66 feet reserve. This is the fence of the private property."

But whatever the case, the Belizean beach is public no more - there's no public access - which is what Thurton laments, and why he came forward:

Gregory Thurton, Belizean Beach Regular
"This is probably the first time I ever do this."

Jules Vasquez
"Why?"

Gregory Thurton, Belizean Beach Regular
"It hurts me so much, because I grew up there. That's where I teach all my grandkids to swim. That's the place where everybody learn to swim. And now I go there, we can't go there no more. I love the sea, I love the salt water, I really like it."

"Then suddenly I can't go no more. It hurts."

And for Thurton - the source of that pain is Boots Martinez:

Jules Vasquez
"The famous Boots Martinez they will say well that is Boots land."

Boots Martinez, Contractor
"Well, listen to me, it always better that people paint me as the millionaire than a broke person. So it no really matter."

Jules Vasquez
"I find it strange that you say you are working for John Pollard and an investor when John Pollard used to work for you."

Boots Martinez, Contractor
"But listen to me, you find it interesting? why people can't work for people?"

Jules Vasquez
"Sir, you're the big man. How you turned contractor now?"

Boots Martinez, Contractor
"How you mean contractor. This is my expertise long before even politics. So I must starve then?"

Jules Vasquez
"Sir, your expertise is pool table."

Boots Martinez, Contractor
"No, sir."

Jules Vasquez
"Yes, sir."

Boots Martinez, Contractor
"Boss, listen to me, my expertise is apart from pool table and so. I used to have pawn shop, I use to have newspaper, I use to have restaurant and bar - I had a lot of things. I do everything in life. So why are you telling me about my expertise is this and that?"

"Once the money is right, I'll make it and I don't have a problem with it and I'm being paid handsomely."

So, Boots definitely wins - but Thurton says it's the city that loses.

We checked, and parcel 2422 is in the name John Pollard - well known as a political sidekick to Boots Martinez when he was in power.