Police Cordon off Bournemouth Beach over Fears of Overcrowding as Heatwave Hits

By Tony Winterburn • Published: 31 Jul 2020 • 10:51

Police use cordons to stop crowds at Bournemouth beach amid fears of heatwave overcrowding.

POLICE put into action contingency plans as PM urges people not to lose focus and risk spreading Covid-19 at Britain’s beaches over the weekend.

Police are setting up roadblocks, creating diversions and closing off sections of Bournemouth beach in a bid to prevent a repeat of last month’s chaotic scenes as a heatwave sweeps parts of the UK.

The Met Office has forecast temperatures will hit 33ºC in parts of southern England, some officers have been asked to work extended shifts and weekend leave has been cancelled for others as the emergency services and the local council brace themselves for another major influx of visitors.

Illegally parked cars can now be towed away by the council under new powers introduced across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. BCP Council will run a trial of their effectiveness until the end of September before deciding whether to make them permanent.

Cabinet member for Transport, councillor Andy Hadley, said there was “no choice but to take action” in response to issues seen last month. More than 1,000 parking fines were issued by the council over the two days at the end of June during which a major incident was called.