THOSE images of huge crowds over the weekend, in cities all over the country – including London, Newcastle, Bournemouth and Brighton – completely ignoring social distancing rules and with very few masks in sight, are heartbreaking, especially given the dedication and hard work being put in by overworked, exhausted, doctors, nurses, care home workers, emergency service and military personnel, not to mention those involved in rolling out the country’s mass vaccination programme.

Whether or not we are developing ‘herd immunity’ has yet to be proven.

What does not need proving is that ‘herd insanity’ is certainly thriving.

The scofflaws behaving as if there is no pandemic obviously have no regard for the well-being of their own families and friends, but more importantly, do not give a damn for the safety of the wider public.

There is little hope of the government being able to ease up on lockdown restriction any time soon all the while we have so many morons refusing to heed the rules.

Unless they come to their senses, and start to act as if they do have more than a handful of brain cells between them, I predict that the day cannot be far off when all beaches, car parks and parks will have to be closed – and no prizes for guessing that them those who’ll be howling the loudest will be the same antisocial cretins whose irresponsibility, nay criminal stupidity, has made such draconian measures necessary.

ROBERT (BOB) READMAN

Norwich Avenue West, Bournemouth