The GMB presenter hit out at the start of the long Bank Holiday weekend which health officials fear could see Government lockdown rules ignored. He tweeted: “A blazing hot Easter weekend is a recipe for total disaster at this stage of the UK war on coronavirus. If you don’t obey the rules and go out sunbathing or partying with your mates, know that you’re not just a selfish, reckless pr*ck, you genuinely may end up killing people.”

If you go out sunbathing or partying you’re not just a selfish, reckless pr*ck, you may end up killing people

Piers Morgan

Mr Morgan posted his warning as the Government launched a publicity drive to urge people to stay at home over weekend, when the weather is expected to remain warm and sunny.

Councils across the UK have warned anyone planning weekend trips that they can expect to be turned away by police.

Tourist hotspots have also said holidaymakers and second homeowners are not welcome during the Easter weekend.

Despite the warnings, police did catch some making journeys in contravention of the rules yesterday.

In Cumbria, police said they caught several people heading to the Lake District from outside the area.

Officers encouraged those caught to go home, including two men from Yorkshire who “chose to head to Windermere for a spot of canoeing”.

Downing Street offered the Government’s “full backing” to police forces seeking to enforce the restrictions over the holiday period.

But there was a rebuke for Northamptonshire Chief Constable Nick Adderley after he suggested his force could mount road blocks and search shopping trolleys to check if people were going out to buy non-essential items.

Home Secretary Priti Patel told talkRADIO: “That is not appropriate, let me be clear on that. That is not the guidance.”

Devon County Council leader John Hart said police had been turning around holidaymakers travelling with caravans or motorhomes on the A38.

Further south, Cornwall Council said it had received about 200 reports from residents that holiday lets are defying the Government order to close.

Annie Willey, brand manager of the Suffolk Coast Destination Management Organisation, which represents local tourism companies, said anyone visiting hotspots over Easter was giving a “slap in the face” to businesses which had battled “stress and pressure” to close their doors because of the virus.

Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Chief Constable Simon Byrne said on Thursday that nearly 100 community resolution notices had been issued.

He said there would be increased patrols at car parks and beauty spots this Easter.

Dr David Rosser, chief executive of University Hospitals Birmingham, said he was “nervous” people will put pressure on the health system by flouting the COVID-19 lockdown over Easter.

He urged people to stick to the rules and not be “falsely reassured” about the apparent effectiveness of measures to date.

Rail companies Northern and TransPennine Express have joined forces with British Transport Police to launch a campaign reminding people it is “not acceptable” to use services for leisure activities.

There will also be an increased presence of police officers at popular stations over the weekend.

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Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said now was not time to give up the lockdown measures.

He said: “The British people have really come behind this, we shouldn’t be giving up this Easter weekend, that is the number one thing.”

Emma Salter, a meteorologist at the Met Office, said that Good Friday will bring hazy sunshine across England and Wales, while Scotland will be cloudy with outbreaks of rain at times.

Temperatures in London could reach up to 26C tomorrow before conditions more widely begin to cool going in to Sunday where some heavy showers could be expected.

Ms Salter urged people to follow the Government’s advice to avoid all non-essential travel over the weekend.

She added: “Despite the warm weather, stay at home and only go out when you have to.”

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who has been deputising for the PM, earlier warned it was still too soon to begin lifting the strict social distancing rules.

He said: “After all the sacrifices so many people have made, let’s not ruin it now.

“We mustn’t give the coronavirus a second chance to kill more people and hurt our country.”

Mr Raab acknowledged that it was hard for people hoping to go out and be with their families over Easter, but he urged them to show restraint amid signs the measures were having an impact.

He said: “Unfortunately right now we just can’t do those sorts of things and I am really sorry about that.

“It’s been almost three weeks and we’re starting to see the impact of the sacrifices we’ve all made.

“But the deaths are still rising and we haven’t yet reached the peak of the virus. So it’s still too early to lift the measures that we put in place.

“We must stick to the plan and we must continue to be guided by the science.”

The warning came as the latest official figures showed the number of hospital patients in the UK who had died after testing positive for COVID-19 had risen to 7,978 as of 5pm on Wednesday – an increase of 881 on the previous day.

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