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More than 100 cars turned away from Formby Beach by police as people flock from Manchester and beyond over weekend
Hundreds of fines were issued.
Merseyside Police turn away more than 100 cars and gave out 20 fines of £200 for lockdown breaches.
Hundreds flooded to Formby Beach on Saturday forcing officers to turn them away and issue thousands of pounds worth of fines due to lockdown breaches.
People as far as Manchester, Stockport and Leeds had travelled to the Merseyside beauty spot to enjoy the good weather over the weekend.
Around 20 people were issued with £200 fines for breaking the lockdown restrictions.
Current government guidance says it is the law to not leave or be outside of your home except where you have a ‘reasonable excuse’.
Such excuses include shopping for essential items like food or exercise.
From March 8th, individuals will be allowed to meet one other person outdoors socially, with a change from the ‘stay home’ rule to ‘stay local’ on March 29th.
Community Policing Superintendent Graeme Robson said they had seen ‘reckless’ behaviour over the weekend and urged people ‘now more than ever’ to follow the rules.
Supt Robson said: “This weekend, due to the good weather, we have seen a large increase in people travelling to the Formby beach area, some of whom had travelled a significant distance to get there.
“This is totally unacceptable and shows a complete disregard for the government guidance, which is in place to protect not only ourselves but others around us. To flagrantly flout the rules in this way is not only reckless and irresponsible, but can result in a substantial fine, as we have seen today.
“Individuals from as far as Leeds, Manchester and Stockport were found to have made the trip to Formby today, which is quite frankly astounding.
“Now more than ever people should be taking heed of the advice, so that infection rates can continue to drop, and we can meet the criteria necessary for easing lockdown in the upcoming weeks and months.
“We will continue to work closely with our partners in Sefton, and across the rest of Merseyside, to ensure the safety of our communities, and will take enforcement action where people refuse to follow restrictions. Current guidance states that people must only travel for essential reasons, and you must remain local.
“We will continue to have increased patrols in the area over the upcoming weeks and I would strongly advise people to check ahead before travelling to popular destinations to ensure they can socially distance while there, and to avoid it completely if it’s not within your local area.”