Dorset beach app launched to tackle overcrowding as temperatures soar
Video report by ITV News Meridian's Richard Slee
A new phone app hopes to tackle the problem of overcrowding on beaches in Dorset.
It comes at a time when temperatures have risen, meaning thousands have headed to the beach to soak up the sun.
The Beach Check app, created by Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch Council (BCP), provides live updates on how busy the beach is in 24 different locations.
There were warnings about the lack of social distancing four weeks ago, when Bournemouth beach was packed with half a million visitors.
It prompted a major incident to be declared, but the council says a repeat is 'highly unlikely'.
Leader of BCP Council, Cllr Vikki Slade, says: "We are fully staffed, RNLI lifeguards are back on duty, they weren't a month ago because of training. We've got more refuse collections, more litter pickers, more security but fundamentally, from today, we now have the ability to tow away cars where they are dangerously parked."
Meanwhile RNLI lifeguards are also back on the beach in Hastings which is good news for families.
An RNLI spokesperson said: "We deal with a lot of lost children so please be extra vigilant with children and make sure they are not going on inflatables because we deal with a lot of inflatables being swept out to sea, and just try and be beach safe."
Following the hot weather, the Met Office has issued a thunderstorm warning for Friday afternoon and evening.
The Met’s “yellow warning” is valid from 4pm until midnight across large parts of east and south-east England where the weather is at its hottest.