Thousands of sun seekers have descended on Bournemouth beach on the UK’s hottest day of the year.
Crowds packed out the sands at the Dorset beauty spot on Wednesday afternoon as temperatures soared to 28C.
The town’s seafront also saw lengthy queues for fish and chips and takeaways sparking a furious backlash.
Sun worshippers freed from households were also seen ramming parks and beauty spots to bask under the lockdown heatwave.
Under the new rules in England people can drive to leisure spots and meet one person outside their household, but have to follow social distancing.
But pictures appeared to show some breaking the rules, which request people to stay six feet apart and remain in force despite the slight loosening of lockdown.
Sun worshippers also crammed beaches in Poole, Dorset, Margate and Brighton.
The scenes from Bournemouth beach sparked a fury on social media.
“We should expect a second wave as a result of the government’s unclear relaxing of the guidelines,” one Twitter user fumed.
Others branded it “appalling” and “madness”. One man said: “It's madness, it's like everyone's forgotten about coronavirus.”
Another jibed: “Bournemouth beach, right now. Wonderful, seems the pandemic of over! Thank god for the common sense of the British people."
Boris Johnson has called on people to exercise “common sense” in sticking to social distancing as police were told they have no powers to enforce it.
Southend on Sea also saw thousands pack out its sands all afternoon in scenes branded “mad” and “ridiculous”.
One wrote: "Welcome to Southend, where social distancing doesn't apply".
LBC's Charlotte Sullivan tweeted: 'More people arriving in Southend today. It almost looks like any other hot day here apart from the dots on the floor to mark out where to stand in the queue for ice creams.
'One man told me "it’s madness, it’s like everyone’s forgotten about coronavirus”'.
Another social media user posted: "The state of Southend beach today like that is ridiculous, how have people not been told to leave?"
The Met Office confirmed Wednesday was the hottest day of 2020 so far with the mercury nearing 30C.
It beats Tuesday which was the previous hottest day.
