Thousands Flock To UK Beaches To Soak Up The Sun

Thousands of Brits have flocked to UK beaches today to soak up the sun.

Photographs have been shared online showing sunseekers lying on the sands of beaches in Southend, Devon, and Dorset as temperatures soared across the country.

Some reportedly travelled hundreds of miles to get to the sea for the day.

Speaking to ITV, one woman said she travelled from Leicester to Southend for some good 'energy'.

She said: "I came from Leicester and I came here because there is the sea and I like to take the energy from it.

"I put up my perimeter. It's very important to keep social distancing."

PA

However, not everyone was so impressed by the numbers of people packing onto the beaches while the coronavirus pandemic rages on.

Southend Councillor Martin Terry told the publication it was difficult to control so many people.

He said: "It's a massive challenge. We know that people aren't going overseas at the moment and with weather like this we know people are going to visit.

"We've got a campaign called stay safe, stay apart, that's working. If it becomes dangerous we will have to close the sea front but that would be a last resort. We are in uncharted waters."

PA

Over in the west of the country, more day trippers piled onto Saunton Sands beach in Devon, with some claiming it looked more like the middle of August rather than May.

Richard Walden, 55, of neighbouring Woolacombe, took a photograph from his window showing dozens of cars queuing to get to the beach.

He told the Daily Mail: "It is unbelievable the amount of thoughtless visitors we have had, parking illegally and causing the roads to be blocked and preventing use of the footpath. They blocked the whole footpath. There is no way a fire engine or ambulance could get down that.

"It is totally senseless.

Solo Syndication

"People sadly haven't heeded the warnings, especially the ones from the lifeguard and RNLI. There was a big powerful surf out there today but no lifeguards. If anyone gets into trouble, they are on their own.

"Living in a seaside resort you are used to having lots of visitors, but it is unwise to come today. No car parks are open, no shops and there is nowhere to go to the toilet.

"It was unbelievably selfish. People started arriving at 5am and last night we had vans outside our house until 11pm. They are not just casual visitors."

And it was similar scenes down in Bournemouth, where more people headed today (20 May) to top up their tans.

One woman told the Daily Echo that she had come down from Wiltshire to spend the day at the beach.

She said: "It was worth the queuing up. This is the first time I have been able to visit the seaside since this all began, to have fish and chips as well was icing on the cake."

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Dominic Smithers

Dominic graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in French and History. Like you, Dom has often questioned how much use a second language has been. Well, after stints working at the Manchester Evening News, the Accrington Observer and the Macclesfield Express, along with never setting foot in France, he realised the answer is surprisingly little. But I guess, c'est la vie. Contact us at [email protected]

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