THOUSANDS of people flocked to Dorset beaches over the weekend, soaking up sunshine on the sand as temperatures soared across the country.
Electronic signs at Bournemouth Pier and Southbourne Beach were displaying the 'too busy' warning while all Dorset beaches were listed as amber and red on BCP Council's beach check app.
Numerous car parks across the conurbation were full as visitors and residents visited their favourite sunny spots.
By 12.30pm on Saturday, August 8, Bournemouth Beach was packed with beach-goers either side of the pier, with the promenade also brimming with visitors.
Carrie and Richard Brenall from Derbyshire, who have been visiting their family in Branksome, were not impressed by the volume of people at Bournemouth Beach on Saturday.
Carrie said: "We’ve never seen the beach this busy and we’re not enjoying it to be honest."
Richard added: "It’s not safe and we’ve tried to social distance but it’s impossible down that promenade."
Despite disliking the number of people at the beach, the couple do not think that anything can be done to prevent it from happening.
Carrie said: "I don’t think there’s anything that can be done, apart from maybe a one-way system, but how can you police that? You can’t. It’s a bit impossible really."
Daytrippers Agnes and Aqeel from Southampton had not yet stepped foot on the beach by the early afternoon due to how crowded it was.
Aqeel said: "We came down to enjoy the sunshine today and go to the beach. It’s very, very busy and nothing like lockdown, people don’t care about coronavirus now.
"I don’t think it’s safe because when you go to a shop, you have to wear a mask and keep your distance, so why is that not done for the beach or the pub? Why is it different? It’s the same people who go the shops that go to the pub.
"People just want to go out, enjoy this and go back to normal. We can’t do anything about the beach, so we’re just here to enjoy it."
Further down the beach at Southbourne, the situation was very different.
The beach was busy, albeit quieter than Bournemouth Beach, with more social distancing evident between visitors.
Phil Gray, who works with his partner Louise Tanner at the Solent Beach shop on Southbourne Beach, is pleased that crowd numbers have increased following lockdown.
He said: "Days like today and yesterday help us do a week, or a week and a half’s 'run in', in one day. We have been rushed off our feet but it's great as it keeps you going and people are spending money and enjoying themselves.
"If we can push through while the kids are off school, we can possibly catch up. We are lucky as there are lots who may not be working again so we are thankful that we can open and that there’s people coming here."
Amid concerns about visitor numbers, Cllr Vikki Slade, BCP Council leader, has reassured people that little risk is posed by people visiting the beach.
She said: "People who go to a busy beach have to be responsible. If someone from Basingstoke is prepared to drive down and pay for parking and ice creams, they can. Going to the beach is not a high risk activity, it is a public place and we need those tourists."
Cllr Slade also drew upon the importance of BCP Council's beach check app, which is set to be developed further in the future.
She said: "The app went live in its basic form but the intention is for it have live updates. Government funding put more money behind it and there is now a manual update once every hour rather than three times a day. Earlier, I was pleasantly surprised to see areas that were still amber."
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