Boris Johnson boasted British common sense would help the easing of lockdown go smoothly – but there was little evidence of that on packed beaches yesterday.
And the scenes of sunseekers flocking to resorts in the 30C heat sparked fears of a second coronavirus wave, as doctors warned the country is still in the grip of a pandemic.
Overwhelmed police urged day-trippers to stay away from beaches today after thousands yesterday crammed into popular spots across the country.
Officers warned the irresponsible behaviour of some sun worshippers risked putting a strain on the NHS, police and other emergency services.
There were also fears the battle against Covid-19 will face a further setback when pubs reopen tomorrow – if the packed beaches are anything to go by.
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As UK coronavirus deaths rose by 149 to 43,230, crowds at Bournemouth were so badly behaved the council declared a major incident and initiated an “emergency response”.
There were also claims staff brought in to clear litter faced “widespread abuse and intimidation”.
Leader Vikki Slade said 33 tons of rubbish was cleared off the beach.
She added: “We are absolutely appalled at the scenes witnessed on our beaches in the last 24 to 48 hours.
“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.”
Dorset Police Federation chair Anna Harvey said: “I am afraid people were asked by the Government to show common sense and at times there has not been much evidence of that being on display. We are still in the middle of a pandemic.
“Our colleagues are doing a fantastic job in very trying and hot conditions. It’s 5pm now and people are still arriving despite the requests to stay away.”
The federation’s secretary Ian Roe added: “People should avoid the area. Remember we are still in a public health crisis and please think twice before travelling.”
Local timber worker Phil Horton, 57, added: “The number of people here makes me very nervous, and there’s absolutely no respect for social distancing. It seems like everyone has forgotten we are living in a pandemic.”
Bournemouth East Tory MP Tobias Ellwood said police told him around 500,000 people flocked to Dorset yesterday – and it is likely the majority headed to the resort and others in the county. He said: “If this is a practice which is going to happen again and impact other local authorities in tourist areas then the Government needs to be clear on what extra support they can offer and they need to be cleverer in their messaging.”
The scenes were repeated on beaches such as Camber Sands in Kent and Southend, Essex – although not everyone misbehaved. They came days after Boris Johnson announced a change in social distancing from two metres to “one metre plus”.
Hove and Portslade Labour MP Peter Kyle claimed the PM urged him to encourage tourists to go to beaches.
He said he asked how coastal communities could be protected against a second Covid-19 wave.
Mr Kyle added: “The Prime Minister’s response was that community leaders like me should ‘show some guts’. That I should be ‘actively encouraging’ hordes of people on to the beach. I think he got the tone and content wrong. By implying it was people’s duty to head out to the beach, but implying that people who don’t lack ‘guts’.
“The scenes in Bournemouth and elsewhere today were inevitable.”
British Medical Association Public Health Medicine Committee chair Dr Peter English also warned tourists to be vigilant.
He said: “Covid-19 still poses a substantial risk to the public and to the NHS and we must move forward with extreme caution and do all we can to prevent a potential second wave.”
The Government yesterday unveiled plans to allow landlords and restaurants to turn car parks into seating areas in a bid to boost hospitality.
Yesterday was the hottest day of the year so far, with Heathrow airport hitting 33.3C. But the dry and sunny weather will today be replaced by storms that started gathering last night.
