Locals hit back! Father blasts ‘millennial attitude’ after illegal party at Lancashire beauty spot

Tempers boiled over at beauty spots across Britain today as locals clashed with vast hordes of tourists they say are blighting their parks and beaches since lockdown restrictions were eased ahead of the bank holiday weekend. 

A father who tried to go for a walk in the picturesque Stoney Bank Quarry, Lancashire, was so horrified by piles of rubbish left behind by young revellers who held an illegal party he turned around and went home again.    

It came as ministers fear the UK could go ‘back to square one’ in the fight against coronavirus if Britons do not adhere to lockdown rules as data suggests people have been flouting restrictions for weeks.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock last night pleaded with people to stick to current restrictions which prohibit meeting more than one person from outside your household outdoors.

But there are increasing signs that many have given up on lockdown measures, sparking growing fears of a potential second wave of the deadly disease.

New data published today suggests some people were bending the rules even before Boris Johnson set out his lockdown exit strategy on May 10.

James Bunting, 41, from Bolton, blasted the ‘couldn’t care less millennial attitude’ of the 100 or so young people who went to the rave and inhaled ‘hippy crack’ in 80F temperatures on Wednesday afternoon. 

Meanwhile a police chief in the Peak District warned day-trippers to stay away after the area was blighted by gridlocked traffic and lines of cars clogging the roads on the Staffordshire border with Derbyshire.

And in Torpoint, where Devon and Cornwall police have been stopping campers from staying overnight illegally at their beaches, a local jogger was filmed taking out his frustration on a visiting car by giving it several kicks.  

‘There’s obviously been a gap in education about taking something out with you and taking [litter] home. It’s frustrating. There’s a real lack of respect for the environment.

‘It’s abuse. I pick it up with my gloves on as much as I can. Fair enough, come up, enjoy it – but take your litter home. It’s just ridiculous.’ 

He added that he feared not just for the landscape but that constant activity in the area would driver wildlife from their natural habitat.

‘There were barbecues that had been lit up there that could cause moorland fires,’ he said. ‘The fires around there every summer are devastating. I put my wet-suit on and got all the bottles and cans out of the water too.’ 

A spokesperson for Lancashire Police said: ‘We received a report at around 6.30pm on May 21st of a large gathering off Stones Bank Road, Belmont. An officer has been in the area and moved them on. 

It comes as: 

• Nicola Sturgeon announced Scots could be able to have neighbours round for a BBQ and play tennis from next weekend;
• Almost 24million people entered the UK with no coronavirus checks in the first three months of 2020;
• NHS and care workers will finally get free coronavirus antibody tests after Number 10 agreed a deal with pharmaceutical giant Roche;
• Drug-maker AstraZeneca revealed it has capacity to make 1billion doses of the Oxford University’s experimental COVID-19 vaccine;
• Health Secretary Matt Hancock suggested the government could make taking a vaccine compulsory in the future; 
• Coronavirus is still infecting 61,000 people every week in England but the outbreak is ‘relatively stable’, according to government surveillance figures;
• Fewer than half of Brits aged 19 to 30 say they are still sticking to the government’s lockdown rules to fight coronavirus, a major study revealed;
• More than five million people have been infected with coronavirus worldwide, with Latin America now seeing the largest rise in cases each day

‘We would advise people to follow The Government guidance by practising social distancing. The incident was also reported to the council as some litter was left in the area.’ 

Meanwhile, photos show long lines of parked cars, piles of rubbish and burnt-out barbecues in parts of Derbyshire and Staffordshire after lockdown restrictions were eased.

Now Staffordshire Police’s Chief Inspector Mark Thorley has reiterated calls for people not to cause unnecessary distress to the local community by flocking to the region this Bank Holiday weekend.

Coronavirus concerns aren’t the only thing that people hoping to enjoy the Bank Holiday weekend have to contend with as authorities urge travellers to steer clear of the coast due to dangerous ‘Widow Maker’ waves. 

Waves up to 16ft high are being forecast this afternoon and tomorrow as authorities fear that having no lifeguards on duty will be a ‘recipe for disaster.’ 

The name Widow Maker refers to the Cribbar reef off the Cornish coast and is responsible for huge waves annually near Newquay, attracting huge numbers of surfers.  

The worst of the conditions are expected this afternoon and on Saturday along the north coast of Devon and Cornwall. The RNLI, which would normally be two weeks into its main season, is not currently patrolling any beaches and is rolling out a vastly reduced lifeguard service ‘in phases’ from the end of the month.

‘My concern is around what the wildlife would consume. [They could] even be driven out of their habits if it became a regular event.’

But the charity has confirmed there will be no cover over the busy Bank Holiday weekend despite sun-seekers flocking back to the coast in recent days. The announcement has led to anger from lifeguards who fear the removal of life-saving services will have tragic consequences.

The Met Office is forecasting mild temperatures on Saturday and Sunday, with London at 73F (23C) and the western regions of England both north and south hovering around 68F (20C). 

But on Monday London could hit highs of 78F (26C) with Manchester and Birmingham expected to enjoy temperatures of around 75F (24C) and Newcastle 72F (22C). 

New data published today suggests some people were bending the rules even before Boris Johnson set out his lockdown exit strategy on May 10. 

Google footfall data showed the number of people visiting parks was above pre-lockdown levels in the days leading up to the Prime Minister’s address to the nation. 

Meanwhile, the Office for National Statistics today revealed almost one in five adults are meeting up with friends or family from outside their household. 

It comes as: 

Steve Instance, RNLI lead for Water Safety in the south west, said: ‘This swell forecast is very worrying for north coast of Devon and Cornwall. A normal morning surf will build to over 15 feet in a couple of hours.

‘Combined with incoming spring tide and no lifeguards, this could be a recipe for disaster. Keep out of the water on Friday afternoon please.’ 

And on ITV’s This Morning today, one caller reported that tourists have been defecating in residential areas due to public toilets being closed.  

Host Holly Willoughby was horrified at the revelation, saying to her viewers: ‘Oh my god, don’t! Just don’t do that.’ 

Health Secretary Matt Hancock last night spoke of a path out of lockdown for some via certificates for people who already have coronavirus antibodies. 

At the Downing Street briefing last night, he stressed that the science of whether people develop immunity, and how long it lasts, was still emerging.

However, he confirmed that ministers are already looking at a ‘system of certification’ that would signify people who are safe to go back to work and mix freely with others.

The prospect has already raised concerns about the social impact – with the government’s own experts warning that those who are not immune could be shunned and desperate individuals might deliberately try to get infected.  

Mr Hancock said: ‘We’re developing this critical science to know the impact of a positive antibody test and to develop the systems of certification to ensure people who have positive antibodies can be given assurances of what they can safely do.’

He added: ‘We’re not yet in a position to say that those who test positive in these antibody tests are immune from coronavirus.

‘But as our understanding of the disease improves, the insight these antibody tests provide will be crucial.’

On the Government’s ‘test, track and trace’ programme, Mr Hancock sought to play down the importance of the delayed app. However, experts believe the app is an integral part of the programme and that without it the UK could struggle to get back to normal life.

He had originally said the app would be rolled out by mid-May but it has now been delayed by several weeks.

The Government is aiming for 25,000 human contact tracers to be in place for June 1 – the earliest date for opening schools and non-essential shops in England.

Mr Hancock said trials of the app in the Isle of Wight had shown the human contact tracing elements were also important so people can understand the consequences of what is required if they have been near someone with coronavirus.

Professor John Newton, of Public Health England, said there could be advantages in doing the contact tracing process without the app initially.

Meanwhile, youths in Stoke-on-Trent have been seen flouting social distancing guidelines. 

In the Manifold Valley a huge amount of litter and charred barbecues were left behind by visitors last weekend.

And in Butterton, one of the gateways to the Manifold Valley, families were seen using a play area by village hall and having picnics on the benches.

Maggie Risby, clerk of Butterton Parish Council, said: ‘Things went absolutely mad here in the Moorlands last weekend. 

‘It was horrendous. We had an influx of visitors at the play area at Butterton Village Hall.

‘The equipment is not sanitised. We have now had to put up notices and padlock the gates.

‘People in the village have tried so hard to abide by the rules, but people coming in and using the equipment could pass on the virus and ruin everything.

‘Two parishioners did a litter pick in the Manifold Valley where lots of litter was left. Cars were parked along the Manifold Valley near Thor’s Cave.

‘Emergency vehicles couldn’t get through in some places because of badly parked cars. Dovedale was also horrendous.’

They issued their warnings as Britain prepares for temperatures of up to 75F (20C) on Bank Holiday Monday after people were pictured across the country taking advantage of this year’s hottest temperatures so far. 

Fearful drivers are planning fewer than 10 million separate journeys by car – half the number compared to this time last year. It marks the lowest number since the RAC motoring group started tracking trips.

Two thirds of respondents to a poll of 1,500 motorists, said they planned to stay at home this weekend amid fears of overcrowding at beauty spots. They also cited the closure of the vast majority of attractions and amenities.

It came as official figures showed a 2.1 per cent drop in traffic in the year to March – the largest drop since quarterly records began in 1994.

Yesterday in the coastal town of Woolacombe in Devon, traffic wardens issued more than 70 tickets as all car parks were shut to keep away visitors. 

Local councillor Andrea Davis warned people to stay away: ‘Please note the car parks in Woolacombe are NOT open, the loos not open, the cafes not open,’ she said. ‘Please consider all these facts before visiting. Yesterday there was chaos.’

Her warnings were echoed by Duncan Dunbar, a 33-year-old highway worker from Wadebridge, Cornwall, who urged visitors to wait until after all lockdown measures are lifted: ‘We only have one hospital here and it’s small and struggles at the best of times,’ he said. ‘I’m worried about what will happen if there’s an outbreak.’

Steve Double, the Tory MP for St Austell and Newquay, said that day-trippers from outside of Cornwall should not be coming to the county.

Speaking to MailOnline, Mr Double said: ‘We are concerned about the next week as people come to places like Cornwall and abuse the new rules by sleeping over. The restrictions are clear that while people free to travel for day trips they are not permitted to sleep in camper vans or in tents overnight. We want to be able to welcome people a bit later in the year but we can only do that if we get on top of this virus. Do not come to Cornwall at this time.’ 

A major study has also found less than half of 19 to 30-year-olds are ‘strictly’ abiding by Britain’s lockdown rules, while among adults the figure has dropped from 70 per cent to under 60 per cent in the last fortnight. 

The MP for Rochford and Southend East and two of Britain’s rail operators warned day-trippers to avoid Southend this Bank Holiday weekend.

Tory MP James Duddridge said: ‘In usual times we would be welcoming visitors with open arms, but we must put the nation’s health first and avoid a second peak.

‘We owe it to our key workers working over the Bank Holiday weekend to keep public transport free so they can maintain social distancing and get around safely.

‘So if you are considering getting on a bus or train to visit Southend, please ask yourself: ‘Is this journey really necessary?”

Jamie Burles, Greater Anglia’s Managing Director, said: ‘While it may be tempting to visit some of the great destinations on our network, government advice is to avoid public transport unless it’s absolutely essential, to help us keep our trains and stations safe for those who have to use them, such as key workers.

‘Anyone who does need to make an essential journey should follow government advice and use a face covering.’

Julian Drury, c2c Managing Director, said: ‘Even though we’re running our full timetable, social distancing means that capacity on our trains remains extremely limited.

‘Our staff are working hard to provide a service for people making essential journeys to work, including weekend workers. We cannot be more clear: please do not use c2c for leisure journeys at this time.’

Cornwall council told day-trippers ‘it is not business as usual’ and added: ‘The pubs are not open, there’s nowhere to stay, go away’.

On Wednesday visitors were seen camped out in Brighton and at various beauty spots in Devon and Cornwall, with locals blasting ‘selfish’ revellers for partying into the night and leaving rubbish strewn across roads and open spaces. 

Meanwhile, police in Newquay carried out ‘dawn raids’ on campervans to order those inside to go home, as closed car parks led to gridlock on the roads. 

Scenes of beaches in Brighton, Bournemouth and Durdle Door in Dorset packed with sunseekers enjoying temperatures of up to 82F sparked a backlash, with one man saying: ‘It’s madness, it’s like everyone’s forgotten about coronavirus.’ 

Richard Walden, 55, of Woolacombe, Devon, took a picture from his house showing gridlocked traffic snaking back as far as the eye could see.

‘Unbelievably selfish people started arriving at 5am and last night we had vans outside our house until 11pm. They are not just casual visitors.’