Do not travel to Devon and Cornwall if you do not have a holiday booked, warn police officers

Police want visitors to "respect" the region, which is already inundated with holidaymakers.

Tourists heading to the West Country for the bank holiday weekend are being told not to travel if they do not have anything booked as the region is already at "full capacity".

Devon and Cornwall Police says demand on emergency services is at a record high and levels of anti-social behaviour, mainly alcohol-related, are "entirely unacceptable."

The force has issued the stark warning to tourists before the bank holiday getaway begins.

Salcombe has now replaced Sandbanks in Dorset as the priciest seaside location to buy a home.

The region is already at "full capacity", according to tourism bosses, so holiday makers are being reminded to plan their trips and expect heavy delays on the roads.

This weekend is the last of the summer for many families before schools reopen at the start of September.

With more people in Devon and Cornwall over the past few months, the workload for the South West's emergency services has risen substantially.

On 24 and 25 August, Devon and Cornwall Police took more than 2,000 calls to 999.

The force has also had to deal with an increase in reports of littering, fly tipping and wild camping.

There has been a huge problem with wild campers leaving their rubbish behind on Dartmoor.

Assistant Chief Constable of the force, Glen Mayhew, said: "We know that for much of our tourism economy the Bank Holiday brings opportunity to try and make up for revenue lost during lockdown earlier this year.

"We are working to support this and hope everyone can enjoy our towns, beaches and moors in a safe and respectable manner.

“Demand on police and all emergency services, including HM Coastguard, has been enormous during August. We had undertaken significant planning for a busy summer and I’m immensely proud of how all the agencies have responded to this challenge."

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Police have also reminded locals and visitors of the numerous incidents that have occurred on the coastline since the easing of lockdown.

People are being urged to "respect the water" and only use lifeguarded beaches.

On Thursday 20 August a holidaymaker died after getting into difficulty in the water near Helston.

In May two people died and several others were injured over one weekend, also after getting into trouble off the Cornish coast.

One of those was a teenage girl, who became trapped beneath a boat near Porthilly Rock in Wadebridge.

Before tourists pack up their cars and drive down to Devon and Cornwall for a staycation, police officers are desperate to remind them that "Covid-19 has not gone away and remains a very real threat" in the community.

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