POLICE have praised the public after footage showed Bournemouth beach was deserted on one of the sunniest Sundays of the year so far.

The empty sands were filmed from the NPAS South West helicopter as it returned to base from a job in Poole.

Members of the public have been urged to stay at home in a bid to stop the spread of coronavirus.

But many voiced fears people would ignore the advice over the weekend.

Patrols were stepped up across the county in a bid to stop people gathering outside.

A spokesman for Dorset Police said: “We’d like to thank you for following the government guidance by staying at home.”