Bournemouth beach overcrowding fears lead police to consider cordoning off area

Temperatures are expected to soar to over 30C on south coast of England on Friday

Police are prepared to use cordons to stop Bournemouth beach from becoming overcrowded on Friday, amid fears that thousands of people will head there to make the most of the high temperatures.

A surge in visitor numbers is expected on Friday as temperatures soar to over 30C on the south coast.

This comes a month after a major incident was declared at the same beach because of overcrowding.

A spokesperson for Dorset Police told The Independent that cordons could be used in the event that overcrowding became an issue.

The force, which has introduced other measures such as high visibility patrols in hotspot areas, are urging people to behave respectfully and responsibly.

Superintendent Richard Bell, of Dorset Police, said: “We have been working with partners throughout recent weeks to ensure we have a detailed plan in place to cope with the expected influx of visitors to our county during sunny spells this summer.”

“We are all keen to welcome visitors to our area but we want to ensure people enjoy what Dorset has to offer in a safe, respectful and responsible manner that does not place an additional strain on all emergency services and public resources,” he added, speaking to The Independent.

In the past two weeks, the force has already attended 20 per cent more incidents that it usually does, with figures predicted to rise further because of this week’s hot weather.

As well as the measures taken at Bournemouth beach, Supt Bell told The Guardian that the police would introduce a one-way system near Lulworth Cove in Dorset if numbers warrant it.

The Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council has also introduced an app which lets people know how busy coastal areas are and where facilities can be found.

The BCP Beach Check app was downloaded 12,000 times in just five days, according to Vikki Slade, the leader of the council.

The fears about overcrowding come as Boris Johnson announced the next scheduled lockdown easing measures would be postponed, and as infections were shown to be rising in England.