Visitors flock to Blackpool ahead of Lancashire local lockdown

Pictures and video footage from the resort on Saturday showed crowds of people enjoying the warm weather on the promenade.

Visitors reported queues for attractions, gridlocked traffic, little social distancing and few people wearing masks indoors.

Frenzied scenes of revellers gathering in large groups along the Prom has prompted some residents to speak out, saying they fear the resort is being put at risk by being excluded from the Lancashire-wide lockdown.

Extra measures preventing most Lancashire households from mixing in private and in public, including a 10pm curfew for pubs and restaurants, are due to come into force on Tuesday to tackle rising coronavirus rates.

But Blackpool, which is run by a separate unitary authority, will be the only part of the county not subject to these restrictions.

Some residents say they are concerned about an influx of visitors from Covid 'hotspots' who might travel to the resort for a night out to avoid the Lancashire lockdown.

Stacey Shulm Rasheed, visiting from Blackburn, has shared pictures of crowds of revellers gathering along the Prom and congregating around Central Pier.

She tweeted: "Lancashire going into lockdown with the exception of Blackpool? This was Blackpool last night! No social distancing anywhere, no masks worn in any amusements or shops...it’s a joke."

Blackpool resident Sylvia Cleaver added: "I quite agree, as a local it’s worrying that so many people are flocking from the towns with higher rates of infection and there is no checking where people have come from.

"I feel the Government need to intervene. The Pleasure Beach is a joke. I believe it’s overflowing."

Vaughan Davies, 23, a former staff member at Central Pier, said: "If I still worked at Central Pier, I would have walked out last night. I live with a 52-year -old with mental and physical disabilities.

"There is NO way I'd work in these conditions during a pandemic."

The town’s famous Illuminations are on display until January, with the normal run extended for two months to boost tourism, and on Saturday, many were drawn to the seaside resort to make the most of the sunny weather.

Police had said they were preparing for large crowds in Blackpool over the weekend and warned of fines for those deemed to be flouting the "rule of 6", which bans groups of more than six people from socialising together.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday, deputy chief constable of Lancashire Police, Terry Woods said: “Going to Blackpool, if you’re not from Blackpool, this weekend and mingling in any large crowds, that is not looking after my family and it wouldn’t be looking after your family.

“What we need to do is focus in on protecting yourself and your family. Make sensible decisions to protect yourselves, going to Blackpool in mass numbers is quite the opposite of protecting yourselves.”

Infection rates in Blackpool are lower than in some parts of Lancashire, but higher than others, including pockets of the Ribble Valley.

An increase in positive cases in the resort in recent weeks has led to concern from some residents who say they are being put at risk after being excluded from the new Lancashire-wide lockdown.

What does Blackpool's heath boss say?

On Friday, Blackpool’s director of public health Dr Arif Rajpura said: “The special measures that have been announced by the Government across large swathes of the north of England over the past 48 hours illustrate that nowhere is immune to this sort of intervention.

“It is absolutely critical that residents and businesses adhere to the new ‘rule of six’ restrictions and follow all Covid guidelines around social distancing and wearing of face coverings.

“The same advice goes to those visiting our resort. The only way to stop the spread of the virus is to respect the rules which are there for a reason.”