Horrendous scenes as tonnes of rubbish left behind at beaches and parks after Britain hit by heatwave

The lifting of coronavirus restrictions in the UK has coincided with a miniature heatwave that saw thousands of people descend upon their local parks and beaches to embrace the warm weather and a small step back towards normality.

While these scenes are welcome (although it would appear that the rule of six is being loosely applied in some cases), it has also seen the return of some unwelcome sights.

Footage from around the country has been shared on social media of parks, beaches and other public areas now resembling something closer to a rubbish dump than a natural location.

For example, here is the scene at Hyde Park in Leeds on Wednesday morning.

Scenes from Sheffield, Cheltenham, Liverpool and Wales to name but a few, tell a similar story too.

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The so-called ‘Freedom Day’ saw temperatures soar into the high teens and low twenties around the UK but the festival-like atmosphere was soured as there were reports of unrest and fights in Nottingham and Primrose Hill, north London where there were also reports of a man acting erratically with a knife.

Measures have been taken in Kent to prevent the amount of rubbish being left on beaches with barbecues being banned in certain locations to deter litterbugs.

These scenes are reminiscent of what happened last summer when beaches from Brighton to Sunderland were left resembling waste sites as tonnes of rubbish was left behind by those visiting the coast for the day.

Although the UK is still reporting thousands of new Covid cases a day but the scientific guidelines and the successful vaccine rollout have allowed for small sporting activities to reconvene as well as outdoor gatherings of no more than six people.

However, prime minister Boris Johnson has urged everyone to remain cautious and safe.

He is quoted as saying: “I know how much people have missed the camaraderie and competition of organised sport, and how difficult it has been to restrict physical activities - especially for children. But we must remain cautious, with cases rising across Europe and new variants threatening our vaccine rollout. Despite the easements, everyone must continue to stick to the rules, remember hands, face, space, and come forward for a vaccine when called.”

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