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(CNN) — Officials in the south of the UK declared a “major incident” after thousands of people flocked to local beaches.
Bournemouth and Sandbanks, in Dorset, were particularly affected when crowds came to enjoy the hottest day of the year thus far, according to a statement released Thursday by the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) council. .
Despite calls to stay away from the area, the place was overrun with cars and sunbathing people, causing traffic jams, illegal parking, and antisocial behavior. By Thursday morning, more than 40 tons of waste had been removed from the shoreline.
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Council leader Vikki Slade said she was “absolutely horrified” by the scenes.
“The irresponsible behavior and actions of so many people is simply shocking and our services are stretched to the maximum to try to keep everyone safe,” Slade said in the statement. “We have had no choice but to declare a major incident and initiate an emergency response.”
The UK is slowly easing its restrictions on coronavirus And now groups of up to six people can meet outdoors. However, the large number of sun worshipers caused huge problems.
Illegally parked cars clogged the roads, and the council imposed 558 fines, a record in a single day.
Garbage collection teams were also abused and intimidated as they attempted to remove mountains of debris from the boardwalk, according to the statement, and there have been a number of incidents related to heavy drinking and fighting.
In response, there will be additional police patrols, security will be provided for garbage collection teams, and measures to comply with parking regulations will be reinforced.
Authorities also found people camping illegally overnight. They were evicted and, as a result, the waterfront surveillance elements will conduct additional patrols.
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Slade implored people not to visit the area and compared the scenes to a holiday.
“We are not in a position to welcome as many visitors or to deal with the full range of issues associated with managing volume of people like these,” Slade said. PLEASE don’t come. We still cannot welcome them. ”
Dorset Police Chief Sam de Reya, deputy, also asked people to stay away from the area, explaining that additional measures activated after declaring a major incident will only go so far.
“We also depend on people taking personal responsibility and we strongly recommend that members of the public think twice before heading to the area,” he said.
“Clearly, we are still in a public health crisis and such a significant volume of people heading to the same area puts greater pressure on emergency services resources.”
Some parts of the UK are preparing for further relaxation of confinement restrictions on July 4, but there have been other signs that members of the public are increasingly breaking the rules.
During Thursday night, at least 22 policemen were injured and emergency vehicles were damaged in London after a street party ended in violence.
And on June 13, several thousand people attended two illegal raves near Manchester in northern England, and three stabbings, one rape and one overdose death were reported between the two events.
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