If an area is busy, please head home and don’t add to the crowds, police urge. A crowded Durdle Door on the south coast near Weymouth is among examples of the pleasure-seeking public risking breaches of social distancing and spreading of Covid-19.
Dorset Council said that it closed a number of roads in the county in the last weekend of May for safety reasons. The council’s Corporate Director and duty Gold Command Officer Jonathan Mair said: “It is vital that everyone continues to act responsibly. This weekend, with continued good weather, the number of visitors to the county has increased significantly. This is putting pressure on local beauty spots and beaches and we are seeing people not able to social distance properly. Unfortunately a number of people are parking inconsiderately and sometimes dangerously.”
Too many people made the decision to go the beach rather than going elsewhere at the weekend, said Dorset Police Assistant Chief Constable Mark Callaghan. He stressed the need to act responsibly and not overcrowd beaches. He said: “If an emergency situation arises, we need to be able to clear an area to allow for the treatment of seriously injured people. As there were too many people on the beach, we had no option but to put people together into allocated areas to allow helicopters to land.
“Yet again, we would remind the public that if an area looks too busy, please go home or elsewhere. We enforce the law and not Government guidance or advice so we are unable to enforce social distancing, the wearing of masks or avoiding public transport. I am encouraging you all to do the right thing to avoid spreading the virus and reduce the impact on local communities.”
This has been true for some weeks. Four weekends before, Avon and Somerset Police shut Cheddar Gorge in Somerset. Police said that on Sunday, May 3 the Gorge had as many parked cars as expected during peak-season.
