Bank holiday restrictions at Brighton beach after crowds

Restrictions are being imposed on Brighton beach for the bank holiday weekend after it was flooded with visitors during warm weather.

Brighton and Hove City Council and Sussex Police received reports of "gatherings, public nuisance, public urination and littering" this week.

Councillor Carmen Appich urged people "not to take unnecessary risks".

There will be no lifeguard service, and stewards will be stationed along the front from midday to 21:00 BST daily.

The stewards will be encouraging physical distancing, and direct people to less busy parts of the seafront if the area becomes too busy.

Ms Appich, chair of the tourism committee, said the council did not feel able to "effectively" keep residents and visitors safe.

She added: "We are so proud of the city we share but to promote Brighton & Hove as a place to visit at this time would be utterly irresponsible and an insult to the NHS staff and front-line workers who have protected the whole county throughout this devastating crisis."

Public toilets are also mostly closed, and those which are open are likely to become "over-used and over-run", she said.