The government will close beaches if people continue to ignore social distancing, Matt Hancock has warned.

A major incident was declared in Bournemouth on Thursday after thousands ignored health advice, with widespread anti-social behaviour, gridlocked roads and huge crowds on the hottest day of the year.

Bournemouth East MP Tobias Elwood said 500,000 visitors were in Dorset yesterday – almost as many people as live in the county.

Health secretary Mr Hancock told Talk Radio he wanted everyone to enjoy the sun, but the British people ‘mustn’t throw away’ all the hard work they have done to fight coronavirus.

Reminding listeners that the government has the power. to shut down beaches completely, he said: ‘We do have that power. I am reluctant to use it because people have had a pretty tough lockdown and I want everybody to be able to enjoy the sunshine.

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‘But the key is to do it with respect for the rules – stay with your household, stay a good distance from other households.

‘But we do have those powers and if we see a spike in the number of cases then we will take action.’

It comes after Chris Whitty also warned the pandemic will worsen again if the public don’t follow government guidelines.

He wrote on Twitter: ‘Covid-19 has gone down due to the efforts of everyone but is still in general circulation.

‘If we do not follow social distancing guidance then cases will rise again. Naturally people will want to enjoy the sun but we need to do so in a way that is safe for all.’

Health officials described scenes in Bournemouth yesterday as ‘appalling’, as services were completely overstretched, workers received abuse and a number of fights involving drunken behaviour were reported.

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council said extra police patrols had to be brought in, with pictures also showing the large amount of rubbish left on the beach by revellers.

Council Leader Vikki Slade said: ‘We are absolutely appalled at the scenes witnessed on our beaches, particularly at Bournemouth and Sandbanks, in the last 24-48 hours.

‘The irresponsible behaviour and actions of so many people is just shocking and our services are stretched to the absolute hilt trying to keep everyone safe. We have had no choice now but to declare a major incident and initiate an emergency response.’

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