Tempers flared in Brighton this weekend as soaring temperatures saw Brits flock to the coast with family and friends.

Pictures from the popular seafront showed two women wrestling on the ground as bystanders and a security guard struggled to intervene. The group were part of huge crowds drinking by the beach in the heat, with many appearing unconcerned with social distancing.

In one image, the security guard appeared to be holding a hair piece belonging to one of the women. A witness who saw the incident said it had been a ‘minor disagreement’ which then ‘erupted into a full-scale fight’.

Describing how the pair had quickly received an audience, they continued: ‘The behaviour of the women was shocking but the people cheering it on were disgusting.

‘The fight then spilled over to another area with both women grappling and punching each other on the floor. Eventually the single security worker, who was not wearing a mask, managed to separate the pair.’

Earlier this week Brighton and Hove Council urged people outside the city not to travel in for a day at the beach amid concerns over social distancing.

But Saturday still saw huge queues form in the train station as Brits made their way to the seaside for what would have been the weekend of Brighton Pride. The event was forced to go virtual this year due to the coronavirus restrictions.

The seafront in Brighton was then packed by the evening, with revellers sitting and standing outside pubs and bars after they reopened last month.

Thousands of Brits have opted for ‘staycations’ or weekend trips to the coast this year after their travel plans were disrupted amid the pandemic. The growing trend has placed many seaside towns under pressure to keep residents safe.

Today the Deputy leader of Cornwall Council Adam Paynter described how locals had become fearful of a second lockdown after ‘unprecedented’ numbers of visitors began flocking to the nearby beaches.

He added: ‘I’ve heard two different incidents where people have been overheard saying: “Well, I’m not going to wear a mask. I came down here to get away from all of that”. I think that’s pretty ignorant thinking that coronavirus doesn’t exist down here.

‘We did have 20 positive cases this week which was up 14 from the previous week. So it’s something that local residents are concerned about because they’ve been sensible, they’ve behaved.’