People in parks across the UK were urged this weekend by police, rangers and volunteers to follow physical distancing guidance after some green spaces were reopened following public pressure.
The government has warned people to continue adhering to the lockdown measures, despite the sunny weather and the desire to see friends and family over the Easter bank holiday weekend.
Many local authorities took the decision to close green spaces following the introduction of lockdown measures due to concerns over public safety, prompting criticism that those living in crowded conditions would have nowhere to go to exercise and enjoy green space.
Victoria Park in east London reopened on Saturday after more than a fortnight closed, and the local mayor said he was frustrated it had taken so long to reopen it.
Local police and the council were said to have taken the decision jointly after some visitors were “provocative and hostile” to officers and rangers enforcing physical distancing rules, but John Biggs, Labour mayor of Tower Hamlets, suggested the Metropolitan police held up the process of reopening the park.
“I’m frustrated it’s been shut for a while,” he told the Guardian. “We made a joint decision and we needed to reassure each other that everything was in the right place.”
Biggs said there had been a number of incidents where people were not taking physical distancing seriously and that he hoped these events did not repeat themselves. Ultimately, though, he said it was important that people get fresh air and exercise.
“Having closed it, it’s been pretty hard to get it reopened again and you can see from the volume of people here today quite how much people love their local park,” he said.
A spokesperson from the Met said: “The opening of public space such as parks is the decision of the local authority. The MPS will continue to patrol through the whole borough, including Victoria Park, with Covid-19, social distancing and public safety in mind.”
In the park, people were seen walking and exercising alone, in pairs and in families, while police on horseback and foot encouraged people not to sit down. Cyclists were not allowed to ride their bicycles through the 86-hectare (213-acre) space, which forms part of the National Cycle Network.
“Its quite nice, there’s no planes in the sky, it’s perfect,” said 29-year-old Jack Cunningham, who lives in nearby Hackney Wick. “I think a short-term closure while they planned things was probably sensible but maybe they could have said it was temporary.”
Susie, who lives locally and did not wish to give her surname, said the decision to close the park was “stupid”.
“I missed the park. I need it for my mental health,” she said. “I think it was stupid to close the park because it forced people to the canal, where they are more clustered.”
A ranger said that there had been huge pressure to reopen the historic park, which first opened to the public in 1845 after a public petition, and became known as the “people’s park”.
“The wildfowl and waterfowl had a lovely two-week holiday without any dogs chasing them, but the park is for the people,” he said, asking not to be named.
“There was an awful lot of pressure to reopen it, even people with back gardens need to get out. Mental health is a big issue and we do need exposure to other people, at a social distance, along with the natural environment.”
In the Greater Manchester and Cheshire suburbs, the public were adhering to lockdown rules with no signs of group gatherings or people flouting the physical distancing guidance.
In the Cheshire village of Disley, the popular National Trust site of Lyme Park – which would normally be full of people on a sunny bank holiday weekend – remained closed. The large iron gates were locked, with signs in red informing the public of the closure.
Meanwhile, in the suburban village of Compstall, just outside Stockport, Etherow Country Park, a local nature reserve, remained open. The car park was quiet, with a few dog walkers and families gathered around the lake. All were adhering to the physical distancing guidelines.
The situation was similar in Brabyns Park, in the nearby village of Marple Bridge. Play areas remained deserted and people were out walking alone or in pairs.
In Surrey and Sussex, as forces across the UK increased patrols, police used a talking drone to tell people suspected of breaching coronavirus restrictions to go home during the Easter weekend.
The “sky talk” drone was deployed by Surrey police to target a group of 30 people who were not abiding by physical distancing measures in Walton-on-Thames on Good Friday.
The drone plays a recorded message, saying: “Attention, this is a police message. You are gathering in breach of government guidelines to stay at home in response to the coronavirus. You are putting lives at risk. Please disperse immediately and return home.”
The Guardian understands the National Police Chiefs’ Council does not expect police to use drones to disperse groups, and that it would be up to force chiefs to justify their approach.
