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Police have been dispersing large gatherings at two of the most popular local Plymouth beaches on the hottest day of the year so far.

A large number of youths were reported gathering on Mothecombe Beach and police attended and used a dispersal order to clear the area.

A witness said: "There were 100 teenagers all drinking and having BBQs together. It was clearly a mass gathering that was pre-arranged. The police were turning up as we left."

Officers were later called to large groups at Bovisand beach where there were crowds on the green overlooking the sea and traffic was queueing down Bovisand Lane.


One onlooker said: "It seems to be the new Ibiza/Love Island villa right now."

Force Incident Manager Martin Worthington said that police were called to Mothecombe Beach shortly before 3pm and used a dispersal notice to clear the area.

He confirmed that officers were called to Bovisand at about 6pm: "We are there now."

Updates as we get them in the live blog below:

Music festival in car park on Bank Holiday Monday

A group of people met up in a Plymouth car park on Monday, May 25
A group of people met up in a Plymouth car park on Monday, May 25 (Image: User submitted)

Earlier this week Devon and Cornwall Police said officers should have dispersed a social gathering in Plymouth on Bank Holiday Monday.

A spokesperson for the force confirmed two officers attended the planned live-music event.

But they did not send anyone home or enforce government guidance - which stipulates that people must not mingle in groups to minimise the spread of coronavirus.

Police said afterwards that the event was “not lawful” and “in breach of current legislation” and the officers received “advice and training around current powers and its implementation” amid the lockdown.

The meet-up, which saw between 25 and 30 people watch local singers perform in a social club carpark, sparked outcry as witnesses claimed the group were not adhering to social distancing guidelines and were putting local people at risk.

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Complaints about breaches of Covid-19 guidelines

Today’s large crowds followed complaints about groups not observing social distancing rules on Plymouth Hoe.

A shocked bystander claimed that groups of up to 30 people were meeting on the Hoe in breach ofgovernment guidelines.

She photographed several large gatherings on the grass in the sunshine last night as the Government’s coronavirus lockdown measures start to crumble.

The woman, who did not want to be named, said that one of the groups had more than 30 people and others had between 10 and 20.

Groups of people have been pictured apparently ignoring social distancing guidelines in the sunshine on Plymouth Hoe
Groups of people have been pictured apparently ignoring social distancing guidelines in the sunshine on Plymouth Hoe (Image: Submitted)
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Pictures show cars in bottleneck on Bovisand Lane

Bottleneck in Bovisand Lane
Bottleneck in Bovisand Lane
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Crowds moved to Bovisand

Police then began to have more calls later in the evening (Log 747) reporting large groups in Bovisand Lane.

“Our units have just arrived at the scene,” the Force Incident Manager confirmed at just after 7.30pm.

Crowds at Bovisand Lane
Crowds at Bovisand Lane
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Devon and Cornwall Police Force Incident Manager Martin Worthington said that officers attended Mothecombe (Log number 514 of today May 27 2020) after a call at shortly before 3pm.

“We were told that youths were gathering and we have resolved that log now. We were working with the local supervisor and we have cleared the beach. We have had a dispersal notice and they have all been dispersed by 6pm.”

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