Don’t throw it all away!

Britain’s beaches could be closed to prevent the resurgence of coronavirus, the Health Secretary warned last night.

It came after the heatwave triggered a frenzied rush to the seaside which led to ‘irresponsible and selfish’ scenes and a major incident being declared on the South Coast.

An army of 500,000 visitors overwhelmed Dorset and forced the authorities in Bournemouth into an ’emergency response’ after they clogged up roads and dumped tons of litter on beaches. Coastal beauty spots around the country saw drunken fights amid blatant flouting of social distancing rules by crowds of young revellers.

There were also scenes of shocking violence against officers trying to end a street party in Brixton, south London, on Wednesday night. Police fear there could be widespread drunken disorder on July 4 – dubbed ‘Super Saturday’ – when pubs and restaurants can reopen.

It prompted Matt Hancock and Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty to warn the public not to undo their success in tackling the pandemic. Mr Hancock said he was ready to order the closure of beaches if there are repeats of yesterday’s packed scenes at Bournemouth and other hotspots. 

‘We do have that power. I am reluctant to use it because people have had a pretty  tough lockdown and I want everybody to be able to enjoy the sunshine,’ he told Talk Radio.

‘But the key is to do it with respect for the rules – stay with your household, stay a good distance from other households.

‘But we do have those powers and if we see a spike in the number of cases then we will take action.’

The Health Secretary added: ‘The number of cases is right down, but we must all stay alert. The sun is shining and of course everyone wants to enjoy the glorious weather, but the Daily Mail is right that we mustn’t throw it all away. Keep to the rules or we risk going backwards.’

Official figures released yesterday suggested that the retreat of the coronavirus pandemic has stalled and the number of people infected in the UK may even have risen.

Professor Whitty stressed: ‘If we do not follow social distancing guidance then cases will rise again. Naturally people will want to enjoy the sun but we need to do so in a way that is safe for all.’

It came ahead of a crucial week for the Government, which has announced lockdown measures will be eased significantly on July 4 to boost the struggling economy. Boris Johnson said on Tuesday that ministers would ‘trust in the common sense ‘ of the British public when rules are eased.

Yesterday was the hottest day of the year so far with a temperature of 33.3C (92F) recorded at Heathrow. Families visiting some beaches did attempt to follow social distancing rules – but that proved impossible in Bournemouth, where the area was overrun for the second day running.

Car parks were full by 9am and hundreds parked illegally on pavements and double yellow lines. Traffic wardens issued a record 558 parking fines. An astonishing 33 tons of litter, including human waste, was removed from the stretch of Dorset coast yesterday. Some illegally camped on the beach, including at upmarket Sandbanks, and used it as a toilet.

Detectives revealed the chaos caused by a ‘significant volume of people heading to one area’, where some people were so eager to get a good spot that they camped overnight on the beach. Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council said services were ‘completely overstretched’ as huge crowds of visitors defied advice to stay away. 

Incidents of anti-social behaviour included drunken fights and staff manning road barriers to turn motorists away from full car parks further along the coast at Lulworth Cove were sworn and spat at.

By Thursday afternoon the situation was so serious that council leader Vikki Slade declared a ‘major incident’.

She said she was ‘absolutely appalled’ at the beach scenes, adding: ‘The irresponsible behaviour and actions of so many people is just shocking and our services are stretched to the absolute hilt trying to keep everyone safe.’

Tobias Ellwood, the Tory MP for Bournemouth East, was told by police there were 500,000 visitors in Dorset on Thursday. He said: ‘These are selfish people who are threatening to prolong the pandemic and also litter our beautiful beaches.’

The beach was also busy along the coast at Brighton, where hundreds of youths gathered on an area of green on Wednesday evening, chanting at police attempting to move them on. Other seaside flashpoints included police being called to a ‘large group of people fighting’ at the beach in Exmouth, Devon, the same evening. 

In Plymouth, police were out in force around the waterfront after heatwave-related ‘unacceptable behaviour’ by large groups of people.

And in Southend-on-Sea in Essex a seafront brawl and other incidents of violence prompted deputy council leader Ron Woodley to call for the Army to reinforce police to regain control of the streets.

The hottest temperatures so far this year have prompted a warning from United Utilities to households to cut water usage or face a hosepipe ban. With children cooling down in paddling pools and parched flower beds needing watering, levels are receding at reservoirs in parts of the country. 

Meanwhile, working Britons took to social media to claim the furlough scheme – where the Government agrees to pay 80 per cent of an employee’s salary during the Covid-19 crisis – should be scrapped because too many staff off work are heading to the coast.

At the start of the crisis, Chancellor Rishi Sunak revealed the furlough scheme to protect jobs, and the Treasury is now paying 7.5million workers to stay at home which the Institute for Fiscal Studies estimates will cost £100billion.  

There was a major alert for a high risk of sunburn in the South West today with the absence of aircraft in the skies set to give the UK its highest levels of ultraviolet radiation because of a reduction in plane contrails. 

The Met Office said UV rays, which can increase the risk of skin cancer, could reach nine in Devon and Cornwall today, which is ‘about as high as it gets really in the UK’ and are more commonly seen in the Mediterranean.

Temperatures hit 91.9F (33.3C) at London Heathrow Airport at about 3pm, making it the hottest day of 2020 for the second consecutive day after the mercury got to 90.7F (32.6C) in the same spot yesterday. 

Both Wales and Scotland also recorded their hottest days of the year so far. In Wales, the mercury soared to 87F (30.7C) at Gogerddan, near Aberystwyth – eclipsing a previous high of 86F (30C) from Wednesday. 

In Northern Ireland, highs of 78F (25.5C) were recorded in Aldegrove.   

Dorset Police Assistant Chief Constable Sam de Reya said on Thursday: ‘These are unprecedented times and we are urging people to stay away from the area of Bournemouth beach and other Dorset beaches.

‘We continue to work very closely with BCP council and other partners to ensure the safety of the public. We are also deploying additional resources to provide increased patrols in the vicinity to help tackle any issues of anti-social behaviour and other offences being committed.’The declaration of a major incident allows us to bring agencies together so we can take actions available to us to safeguard the public as much as possible.

‘We are also reliant on people taking personal responsibility and strongly advise members of the public to think twice before heading to the area. Clearly we are still in a public health crisis and such a significant volume of people heading to one area places a further strain on emergency services resources. 

‘This influx of visitors to our area places a significant increase in demand on our service and we would ask people to please bear with us. We would therefore stress again that we are asking people to please stay away from the area.’ 

Mr Ellwood said Dorset Police and the local council were today unable to cope amid reports of 500,000 visitors and two-hour traffic jams, with cars queuing back for 15 miles along the A338 and A31.

Many motorists have been parking illegally on double yellow lines, over cycle lanes and on pavements, seemingly happy to take a £35 parking ticket rather than queue and wait for a space. 

Speaking amid the chaos, the MP said: ‘Bournemouth is deluged with visitors and the local authority cannot cope.

‘We have the perfect storm of incredible weather and a liberation of some Covid-19 guidelines and given the wider consequences of a second spike, the government needs to offer assistance and respond to this dangerous event that is happening within a national health emergency.

‘It is beyond the local capabilities to be able to control the roads and manage the situation. Volunteers and traffic marshalls can only do so much to get people to cooperate and move along.

‘It is important that Westminster sees what is happening on the frontline and responds with assets to provide support.

‘When you have mass demonstrations in London the Metropolitan Police can call on other forces to help and I think this is what needs to happen here. The police locally are overwhelmed, they cannot be everywhere. The number of police officers is based on the number of residents in the county, not visitors.’ 

Stephen Allen, a resident of Sandbanks, said: ‘It is the illegal camping that gets us. You see people coming out of their tents in their pyjamas and head off into the sand tunes with toilet roll. It is very unpleasant.

‘There has been illegal parking happening all over the place. Cars have parked on cycle lanes, double yellow lines and on the pavements.

‘They would happily take a £35 parking fine rather than queue for hours on end for a car park space which will probably cost them the best part of £10.’

Further along the Dorset coast at Lulworth, a local councillor told of the abuse she received when she tried to turn people away because the area was full.

The local authority agreed to set up road barriers when the main car parks at Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door become full.

Laura Miller has been manning one of the barriers. She said: ‘I have been shouted and sworn at and one guy spat at me. These are people who have travelled three or four hours in their car, they are hot and grumpy and then they are turned away.

‘Some drivers have ignored our barriers and just knocked them over and driven through.’

She said that the beach at Durdle Door resembled the aftermath of a music festival last night. She said: ‘The behaviour of some visitors has been foul. There are large groups of people who are totally ignoring social distancing rules.

‘We filled up 30 bin bags of rubbish and the beach stinks of weed. It was like the aftermath of a festival. Most of the visitors have come from London but others have travelled from Birmingham, Bristol and Peterborough.’

Some working Britons claimed the furlough scheme – where the Government agrees to pay 80 per cent of an employee’s salary during the Covid-19 crisis – should be scrapped because too many staff off work are heading to the coast and making social distancing impossible, raising the chilling prospect of a second wave of the virus.

A nurse told MailOnline: ‘This is ridiculous, the furlough holiday should end. It is so unfair to many nurses working on the front line self employed.

‘Not only am I putting myself and husband at risk and unable to see my children and grandchildren, but feel it is so unfair that we are hit with tax bills despite all these individuals enjoying the sunshine and being paid [while] I swelter at work in full PPE to maintain services in urgent care.’

Paul Dulson, from Bournemouth, Dorset, tweeted: ‘I live a few miles from Bournemouth beach and do not visit because of this madness. A great case for ending the ridiculous furlough and getting kids back to school.’

Another added: ‘Why are the people not at work? Oh, that’s right, they all on furlough receiving 80 per cent of their salary paid for by me, to go to the f***ing beach. Meanwhile the likes of me is working my a*** off in this heat.’

And a third said: ‘Just end the furlough scheme now. It’s there to protect jobs whilst we protect ourselves. We’re obviously not wanting to protect ourselves anymore, so let’s just stop paying people to sit on the b****y beach.’

At the start of the crisis, Chancellor Rishi Sunak revealed the furlough scheme to protect jobs, and the Treasury is now paying 7.5million workers to stay at home which the Institute for Fiscal Studies estimates will cost £100billion.

There was a tragedy in Worthing, West Sussex, as a woman in her 50s died after suffering a ‘medical episode’ on the beach. Tourists were evacuated to make way for the air ambulance but she could not be saved.  

The warm weather took a dramatic turn on Thursday afternoon as thunderstorms broke out across the South West of England at around 4.30pm, when up to 1.6 inches of rain were expected to fall in two hours.

Storms were also forecast to form in the south west and south east of England, Wales, western Scotland and Northern Ireland from 4pm.

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather alert for those areas until 9am tomorrow, warning of disruption due to flooding, lightning strikes, hail and wind.

The storms are expected to continue from midday on Friday through to 6am on Saturday, with another yellow warning in place for the whole of the UK.

Areas hit by the storms could experience ‘torrential downpours’ with up to 2in (50mm) of rain falling in an hour.  

There was also a high alert for dangerous UV radiation levels on the hottest day of the year. Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill said: ‘The sun is as strong as it gets at the moment because we’re so close to the solstice. We’ve got peak sun strength, clear skies, plenty of sunshine – it’s the perfect ingredients for high UV.’ 

Among the main reasons for high UV levels given by experts are a hole in the ozone layer that opened earlier this year, and the time of year so near the solstice combined with limited cloud cover and water vapour.

But Michaela Hegglin, a professor in atmospheric chemistry at the University of Reading, added it was also down to a lack of plane contrails, which normally create clouds reflecting UV rays away from the ground.

The expert told the Telegraph the negative impacts of UV levels were massively outweighed by the positive impacts of lower levels of air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions during the coronavirus crisis.

She said today could see some of the ‘highest UV levels ever recorded’ in Britain, adding: ‘This is because of a combination of factors. We are at the summer solstice, when the sun is almost directly overhead at 1pm.

‘UV levels this high are rare in the UK, so people with light skin should be very careful to avoid getting burnt. While UV is important for getting vitamin D and keeping us healthy, too much of it can cause skin cancer or cataracts.’

Ozone holes are an annual thinning of the ozone layer over Antarctica, caused by stratospheric chlorine. Every year ozone layers fall drastically during the Southern Hemisphere’s spring and the Arctic can be affected too. 

Experts think this started happening in the 1970s as a result of the use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which were popularly found in aerosols. The hole forms in the Antarctic when cold air is trapped by strong circulating winds.

This leads to the formation of ice clouds, which break down chlorine-containing compounds. It makes the area especially susceptible to ozone depletion, but ozone from other areas returns over the affected poles every year.   

The public has been reminded to take care around water throughout the summer, amid concerns people might be tempted to take a dip to cool down.

It comes as Thames Valley Police said on Wednesday evening they had found a body following a search for a missing man at Lulle Brooke in Cookham, Berkshire.

The man, who was in his 30s, was understood to have got into difficulty in the water on Tuesday evening.

A cousin said Syrian refugee Eyad Al Ryabi had gone into the water on Tuesday evening to try to help his friend. The friend survived and was taken to hospital, Thames Valley Police said.

Meanwhile a man in Middlesbrough was taken to hospital after jumping into shallow water at a popular beauty spot.

Volunteers from Cleveland Mountain Rescue team were finishing a ‘litter sweep’ when they came across the incident a Cod Beck reservoir, near Osmotherley, North Yorkshire, yesterday.

A 21-year-old man suffered a leg injury after he jumped into the water and was unable to walk.

A spokesman for the Cleveland Mountain Rescue Team said ‘the water was a lot shallower than he expected’ and as a result, was in a lot of pain.

The man was being treated by ambulance crews at the scene when rescue team arrived. Volunteers transported the ambulance stretcher to the patient while a doctor helped to treat him.

Once loaded on to the stretcher, the team helped push the injured man to a waiting ambulance. He was then taken to hospital for further treatment. Eight mountain rescuers and two response co-ordinators involved in the incident for around 40 minutes.

Others were on standby from their training locations but were not required. Crews are now warning people of the dangers of jumping into water.

The spokesman added: ‘It is perhaps worth reminding people about some of the risks of jumping into water – it might be shallower than they think and ‘cold water shock’ is a very, real danger. Put simply – it’s very dangerous – don’t do it.’ 

Yesterday’s good weather saw people flock to beaches in huge numbers despite social distancing measures remaining in place.

The Met Office raised its heat alert level to three, as health authorities encouraged those most vulnerable – many of whom have been shielding during lockdown – to protect themselves amid the ‘exceptionally hot weather forecast this week’. 

Public Health England (PHE) said older people, those with underlying health conditions, and very young children were all more at risk from the higher temperatures.

The amber level three, which remains in place for the West and East Midlands, requires social and healthcare services to target specific actions at high-risk groups, according to the Met Office website.

People have been advised to keep cool and stay hydrated where possible. The Met Office said UV levels were expected to remain at eight across many parts of the UK today.

Emer O’Connell, consultant in public health at PHE, said it was important that people kept checking on the vulnerable, as many continued to spend more time at home due to coronavirus.

‘You will need to do things differently this year, for example keeping in touch by phone,’ she said. 

Shoppers have also been advised to be aware they could be forced to spend extra time in the sun as a result of social distancing measures.

And dog owners have been urged to avoid exercising their pets during the hottest part of the day. 

Vets Now, a provider of emergency veterinary care, warned that the average survival rate of a dog diagnosed with heatstroke was 50 per cent. 

The RSPCA said it had received 330 calls in regard to animal welfare and the hot weather since March 23, adding it was expecting ‘hundreds more’ as temperatures increase this week. 

Meanwhile, fire chiefs said they wanted to ‘debunk this myth’ that hand sanitiser left in hot cars could pose a fire risk.

Roy Wilsher, National Fire Chiefs Council chair said: ‘We want to reassure people that this product will not combust if left in a car – even on the hottest day. For hand sanitiser to cause a fire it would need to come into contact with a spark.

‘Hand sanitiser is very important in the fight against the spread of Covid-19, therefore it is is essential we debunk this myth.’

People are advised to keep their hand sanitisers containers closed and out of direct sunlight and ensure they keep it away from any naked flame.

London Fire Brigade has warned people not to have barbecues on dry grass, not to drop cigarettes or matches, and not to leave rubbish such as glass bottles lying around amid a risk they could start fires.

In Dorset, stunned officials in Bournemouth today slammed ‘vile idiots’ who left 20 tons of litter strewn across the resort’s beaches following the hottest day of the year.

They blamed a ‘breakdown in decent, civic behaviour’ for the appalling mass of rubbish left behind by over 100,000 visitors – and volunteer litter pickers found many of the public bins were still half empty.

Shocking pictures taken at 4.30am this morning before the local council’s beach cleaning team arrived to clear the mess have sparked fury on social media.

Vikki Slade, the leader of Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole Council, said: ‘It doesn’t matter what we do, these vile idiots will ignore the rules. The disgusting mess left on our beaches makes me want to weep.

‘People urinating within sight of loos, parking illegally and just accepting the fine and ignoring the message of don’t come to Dorset is a breakdown of civic behaviour.’

One of the litter pickers on the beach was Peter Ryan, 61, who founded the community group Dorset Devils.

He said: ‘It is sad, disappointing and disgusting to see the beach in such a state. It is the jewel in the crown of the area and it does not deserve to be treated like this.

‘There were so many empty beer bottles, vodka bottles and cans of all varieties left on the sand, even though some of the bins on the pier were half empty. They’ve shown no care whatsoever for this beautiful environment.’ 

Claire Shouksmith told the Bournemouth Echo today that she saw ‘several piles of human faeces, toilet paper and nappies’, dog mess, urine stains down the pavements, cars still badly parked yesterday and a ‘disgusting’ stench.

At the beach, she said there was ‘masses of rubbish’, a ‘stench of urine and more faeces’, dog mess in the sand despite not being allowed on that part of the beach, campfire debris and broken beer bottles on the sand.

She said: ”I’ve lived here for 14 years it’s usually lovely, clean and peaceful, busy when the weather hot but never have I seen the place left in this horrific state. Why the hell do people think they can use the streets as a toilet? 

‘The actual toliets are open all day! When did just leaving your rubbish anywhere become acceptable behaviour and as for the campfires in the sandbleft for people to walk through and burn their feet, I’m lost for words.’

In the North West police foiled an illegal rave on the beach, seizing a generator, a DJ mixing deck and 20 speakers. Five arrests were made as well as 60 parking tickets issued and 15 dispersal notices at Formby beach, Merseyside.

A section 34 Dispersal Zone was put in place until 2.30pm on Friday as a direct response to the number of people flocking there in the hot weather.

Gardeners work to get picturesque walled gardens looking like a sea of colour before visitors are welcomed back

Gardeners have worked round the clock to get walled gardens designed by Sir Walter Scott looking like a sea of colour, before visitors are welcomed back.

Scott, who is considered to have popularised tartan and invented the historical novel, lived at Abbotsford House near Galashiels in the Scottish Borders, where he died in 1832.

He also designed the walled gardens, wanting them to be ‘intimate’ and connected to the house, which was built in Baronial style as a ‘castle in miniature’.

The gardens will reopen to the public on July 1 – having had just two people looking after them, although locals have been able to wander around the estate including the banks of the River Tweed.

The walled gardens, which would have been used as kitchen gardens during Scott’s lifetime, are a sea of colour having been lovingly maintained during the lockdown.

And this week, 15 volunteers were thrilled to be allowed back to tend to rose beds and apple trees. Entry is usually ticketed but that is being waived and a donation is being asked for.

Head gardener Tim Owen said: ‘We have been keeping things going as well as possible. The intention was to keep the garden going for people, as it would be as if people were coming in. Our main focus was on the walled garden.

‘In other areas we would go round and check the estate. We have got three miles of woodland paths for all abilities, and where the lockdown has eased we have seen families out and about.

‘The walled gardens, in Scott’s time, were kitchen gardens. We have got vegetables, fruit, apple trees and pear trees. We try to plant it to keep it going until the end of November.’

The walled gardens already have a one-way system in place and will be open to visitors on a donations basis. Signs will be put up reminding people to keep a physical distance.

Mr Owen, 54, added: ‘Everybody that’s involved loves the place. It has given volunteers a boost being allowed to come back.’

Entry is usually ticketed but since the five-metre mile travel restriction has been in place, the estate has been open to visitors.

Losses have racked up to £350,000 with no visitors coming in – and the gardens had only been opened for a couple of weeks before it had to close.

But the National Lottery Heritage Fund awarded £224,200 to pay for day to day costs.

Popular Sussex beach forced to close its car parks amid astonishing demand 

One of Sussex’s most popular beaches has been forced to close its car parks after high demand paralysed the road network.

Police have also closed the A259 on the approach to the seaside destination of Camber Sands because of the sheer volume of traffic. Today is set to be the hottest day of the year so far.

A spokesman for Rother District Council said: ‘Camber Sands car parks are already full and closed and a police road closure is in place – do not travel to Camber.’

Camber Sands was also gridlocked yesterday after ‘thousands of cars’ descended on the area and overwhelmed the car parks.

Pictures taken from the scene yesterday showed cars stacked up along the narrow roads with nowhere to move.

The huge demand has left Rother District Council concerned that emergency services would be delayed to the area in the event of an accident.

Officers in Rother are in attendance at Camber Sands and have pleaded with people to not come to the area.

It is the second day running that huge crowds of people have flocked to Camber Sands in the hot weather, enforcing closures.

A council spokesman said yesterday: ‘On the hottest day of the year so far, we have again seen a huge number of people heading to the beach which led to all three car parks and the overflow field being closed at 1pm.

‘This resulted in gridlock with thousands of cars queuing for hours with nowhere to go – despite signs on the main roads advising people car parks are full.’