From a 'ghost town' to tourist hotspot - visitors descend on Cotswolds village
Thousands of people flocked to one of the West Country's most popular tourist hotspots over the bank holiday weekend, much to the delight of businesses.
The picturesque village of Bourton-on-the-Water has long been a popular spot for people visiting the West Country.
But its streets have been quieter since the end of the summer tourist season last year, with lockdown restrictions meaning people could not travel far from home.
However with more people now choosing to holiday in the UK due to restrictions on foreign travel, the village was once again filled with tourists at the bank holiday weekend.
The past year has been particularly tough for many of the village's businesses, with Covid-19 restrictions forcing them to close.
Katherine Laynton, a shop manager in the village, said it had been a "tough year" for businesses in the area but she was pleased to see people flocking back.
"It was very hard, we were furloughed for quite a long time," she said.
"The village has been really, really quiet. It was almost like a ghost town so now there is hustle and bustle and everybody is back.
"It is great to see everyone enjoying the weather and the village again."
The area is expected to be extremely busy over the coming months and Cotswold District Council announced there could be an increased parking charge in the village for visitors.
The new parking fee was proposed in February by the council's deputy leader, Mike Evemy, in response to an influx of visitors to the popular destination throughout 2020.
According to Mr Evemy, some visitors were parking inappropriately, littering, and failing to socially distance.
The money made from the additional 50p charge could be used to "help alleviate the effects" of mass tourism, including more on-street parking and litter picking resources.
Read more: