An eye-witness has described seeing people "walking about like zombies” after crowds flocked to Woodhouse Moor for an alleged “St Patrick’s Day party".
The onlooker said she thought the crowds had “probably” gathered at Hyde Park on Wednesday evening to celebrate St Patrick’s Day as there were lots of “Irish flags” around.
She had been going for her daily walk around 5pm when she spotted crowds and what looked like a “big party”.
"Confused" by what she saw, she made the decision to turn "back around".
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Comparing the people she saw to "zombies", she said: “I was shocked, confused if rules had changed. [I had] no idea what was going on...
"But seemed like a big party or festival.”
She added that “pretty much everyone was drunk” and that she could “smell weed”.
“People [were] staggering around and throwing up on streets, singing, screaming [and] shouting like [they] normally [would] on night outs. It was total chaos," she said.
Her comments come after hundreds of people flocked to Hyde Park yesterday afternoon as temperatures hit highs of 13°C.
Locals made the most of the weather with some meeting for a coffee and others choosing to sit in big groups, completely ignoring social distancing guidelines .
Watch as huge crowds gather in Woodhouse Moor on March 16
As of March 8, lockdown rules allow for people to spend time in outdoor public spaces for recreation on their own, with their household or support bubble, or with one other person.
But social distancing must be maintained with those from outside of a person's household.
More restrictions due to be eased on March 29, in line with the roadmap out of lockdown, will see the return of the rule of six in outdoor settings.
A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said about yesterday's alleged party in the park: “Officers attended the park after receiving reports from concerned members of the public.
"Our approach was to explain, engage and encourage people to comply with regulations to keep themselves and others safe whilst the threat from Coronavirus remains.”
