If Cummings can break lockdown, then so can we, say beachgoers

IN THE glorious sunshine on Britain’s most popular beaches, lockdown no longer seemed to exist.

As Bank Holiday Monday temperatures hit 25C (77F), British people packed picnics and travelled in their droves to beauty spots to enjoy the weather with their families.

The crowds have been hit with stinging criticism for putting the health of the country at risk – but many people pointed out that if the Prime Minister’s most senior adviser can bend the rules, they can too. In Dorset, the local council warned that Bournemouth was approaching maximum capacity, as day-trippers travelled from as far as Liverpool to the beach.

Some said that they felt the restrictions could be ignored because of the actions of Dominic Cummings.

Patricia Smith, 28, a fitness instructor, said: “The situation with Dominic Cummings encouraged me to come here from Liverpool.

“I was thinking about whether it was right to or not, but if he can do that in his position then why shouldn’t I?”

Many sunning themselves on the sand seemed to agree. Stuart Beer, 50, an insurance broker from Poole, Dorset, said there was no incentive for the public to follow government advice if they did not “practise what they preach”.

He said: “How can they complain about people who break the lockdown?”

Aidan James, 36, an insurance manager, said: “We have stuck to the lockdown rules and been socially distancing.

“I’m not surprised with Dominic Cummings, I think they’re all a bunch of hypocrites, but I think it’s still important to be sensible so it won’t change how we behave. But I think a lot of people will take advantage of the fact that he has broken the rules.”

Residents near the beaches of Botany Bay and Margate Main Sands in Kent, complained of a “strong smell of urine” as lavatories were closed.

Community safety officers patrolled the beach in Southend-on-sea, Essex,

‘The situation with Cummings encouraged me to come to Bournemouth from Liverpool’

to try to enforce social distancing. The loosened rules, announced by Boris Johnson earlier this month, state that people in England can travel around the country to exercise and sit in the sun. But emergency services have warned people to not take risks if they visit beaches and other beauty spots, to avoid straining the police and the NHS.

However, tourists were warned after being photographed posing on an unstable 150ft cliff in West Bay, Dorset.

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution has suspended lifeguard duties during the pandemic. However, independent life-saving teams have carried out multiple rescues on the coast of Devon and Cornwall over the weekend. Gary Walters, of the Porthtowan Surf Life-saving Club in Cornwall, helped a family who got into trouble with their young son and a surfer, who also got into difficulty. Two kayakers also got into trouble and spent 20 minutes fighting a rip tide.

“The waves are really, really big and choppy,” said Mr Walters.

Tom Mansell, regional life-saving lead for the RNLI, said: “If you are not an expert in the water and do not surf regularly, our strong advice is do not enter the water.”