Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole Council has declared a major incident after thousands of people descended on Bournemouth Beach during the UK heatwave. The council said the beach was “stretched to the absolute hilt” on the second day of high temperatures, with reports of gridlocked roads, fights, and overnight camping.
Dorset Police urged people to “act responsibly” as temperatures reached the mid-20s Celsius. Traffic built up early on coast-bound roads, including Durdle Door, with visitors travelling from as far as Birmingham. By Thursday evening, the Sandbanks peninsula was “heavily congested,” and the council repeated its plea for people to stay away.
The council said declaring a major incident meant a multi-agency emergency response had been activated to coordinate resources. Council leader Vikki Slade said she was “absolutely appalled” by the scenes, adding that 33 tonnes of waste were cleaned up along the coastline on Thursday morning alone. Extra police officers have been brought in, and security is in place to protect refuse crews facing “widespread abuse and intimidation.”
England’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty, warned that COVID-19 “will rise again” unless social distancing guidelines are followed. Bournemouth East MP Tobias Ellwood called for the government to dispatch additional officers if needed and urged a dynamic response to beach crowding, saying the lockdown would otherwise have “been for nothing.”
Royal Bournemouth Hospital and Poole Hospital declared a “major incident standby” due to the impact of crowded beaches, traffic gridlock, public disorder, and fire risks. Assistant Chief Constable Sam de Reya of Dorset Police said people should stay away from beaches in these “unprecedented times,” as the volume of visitors places a further strain on emergency services.
