London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Parks swamped with sunbathers as phone data shows Brits are ignoring lockdown

Health officials fear Britons are getting complacent about the coronavirus lockdown as traffic and mobile phone data revealed more of us are on the roads and looking for directions.
Huge queues formed outside B&Q stores in Bristol and Swansea as the chain decided to reopen 130 of its stores. Meanwhile sunbathers flocked to London’s Hyde Park and people crowded outside ice cream stands along the coastline of Hove.

Yorkshire Police revealed 50% of shutdown fines issued so far have gone to tourists visiting beauty spots in the area. At today’s Downing Street briefing NHS England director Professor Stephen Powis said ‘there was a little bit of concern’ after the warm weather drew big crowds to public spaces.

He said traffic levels are down 59% compared to February, but grew by three percentage points in the last seven days compared to the previous week.

Mobility data released by Apple revealed that despite a dramatic drop in requests for directions, in recent days searches for maps for walking or driving have increased by eight percentage points.

The Government says people should only go outside to buy essential items, for medical assistance, to help a vulnerable person, for one form of daily exercise and to go to work if necessary.

Prof Powis said: ‘It won’t take much for this virus to start increasing its transmission again and to spread more widely.

‘It would be foolish and not right if we lost the benefits that we have gained over the last four weeks, which I know have been hard for everybody.

‘So it’s really important that despite the weather, we stay at home, we keep to the guidelines that we’ve been issued with.’

The Metropolitan Police Federation (MPF) said despite its assertions to the contrary, the Government was sending out mixed messages around the shutdown.

Its chairman Ken Marsh said: ‘Contrary to the view we heard today from Downing Street, the Metropolitan Police Federation does believe there are mixed messages coming out from the government around the lockdown for the public.

‘This makes our already difficult job of policing this unprecedented crisis harder.

‘We have to ask whether DIY stores – for instance – are essential stores for the public to attend? Their opening creates increased footfall and vehicles on our roads which surely goes against what we have been told around people staying home to protect the NHS and save lives.

‘Police officers are on the front line of combating the coronavirus crisis – we need clear and unambiguous laws, guidance and communication from government around what the public can and can’t do. What is essential and what isn’t.

‘If officers are confused about all this then so will the public be.’

Various forces have highlighted the most flagrant breaches of the guidance they have come across on social media.

Devon and Cornwall Police fined a couple from Kent for driving around 300 miles for a ‘mini-break’ by the sea.

Their car was confiscated after the driver was found to have no licence or insurance.

In Gwent, officers described it is ‘unacceptable’ that people drove nearly 12 miles from Newport to the blue lagoon at Pantygasseg.

Police in Gloucestershire issued warning letters to three people in Paganhill after holding a party at one of their houses.

And a pub in Pendeford, Wolverampton, had its licence suspended for three weeks for secretly serving alcohol.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×