The ‘selfish’ sunseekers sparking outrage across heatwave Britain: Crowds ignore swim bans, wildlife pond is turned into ‘beach club’ and illegal parking causes traffic gridlock

Selfish sunseekers are sparking a growing backlash across heatwave Britain with a number of incidents this week.

Hordes descended on the nation’s beaches, local beauty spots and waterways teeming with sensitive wildlife, while fights broke out and police made arrests as tensions simmered over amid the record-breaking heat.

Groups of young people have caused widespread disorder in Bournemouth, with mobs on the beach and officers dispersing crowds of teenagers while being pelted with glass bottles.

Elsewhere, visitors looking to make the most of the 35C heatwave have been accused of leaving behind mountains of rubbish, blocking access for emergency service vehicles and taking a dip in areas where swimming is banned.

Revellers rushed to take to the water in a wildlife haven in Hampstead Heath, as well as defying no-swimming warnings at London lidos including Ruislip and Parliament Hill, which was closed following an ‘altercation’ on Bank Holiday Monday.

Footage also emerged of emergency service vehicles struggling to make their way through parking gridlock in Formby, and one farmer took to desperate measures after drivers defied his warnings to park on private land. 

Locals took to social media to lambast tourists who left behind mounds of litter at sunbathing spots and beaches including in Bournemouth and Barry Island in Wales.

Some councils were forced to call in extra staff to clear the rubbish left behind by those looking for a quick tan top-up, while others handed out thousands of parking fines in just days to those rushing to the seaside.

It all comes after days of warnings of the risks of the record-breaking heat this week, with ten swimmers so far confirmed to have died after getting into difficulty.

There have been days of disorder in Bournemouth culminating in police being pelted with glass bottles as they attempted to break up mobs of youths in the Dorset town.

Matters escalated on Tuesday night when three officers were injured by missiles including glass bottles thrown at them by a mob of more than 100 youths. Three people were arrested that evening for offences of possession of an offensive weapon and affray.

In response, a dozen officers patrolled the area around the Victorian pier yesterday, issuing dispersal orders and confiscating alcohol from possible underage drinkers.

Several people were arrested by offices, including two girls who appeared to be no older than 15. Some of those gathered could be heard shouting and swearing at officers, while others reportedly smashed glass bottles next to them.

Police said they would not tolerate acts of violence and disorder and said they would retain an increased presence at the seafront over the half-term holiday. 

There was widespread outrage yesterday after footage emerged of hundreds of revellers taking to the water in a wildlife pond in Hampstead Heath for the third consecutive day – despite warnings of the threat to nesting birds.

The Model Boating Pond in north London is a ‘no swimming zone’ to protect the animals, but boisterous crowds were seen scaring ducks and other species away, putting vulnerable young wildlife at risk.

Swimmers were accused of turning the site into a ‘beach club’ and were seen throwing balls amongst each other, performing somersaults and splashing around carelessly as music blared in the background.

In one incident, a group of girls were seen kicking a flock of ducks off an inflatable they had been relaxing on, and some youths stayed in the area until 2am on Tuesday.

Sun-dwellers were later filmed exploring a secluded spot at the back of the pond where the ducks and swans had retreated in search of some peace and quiet.

Furious residents say the protected habitat has become a ‘party destination’ – and have accused the City of London Corporation (COL) of ‘letting it happen’.

It is understood that the pond had recently been the subject of a scheme making it a sanctuary for birds, which had been backed by £50,000 in public funding.

Chair of the COL’s Hampstead Heath, Highgate Wood and Queen’s Park Committee, Alderman Gregory Jones KC, said: ‘The recent conduct of some visitors swimming in non-lifeguarded ponds is utterly appalling.

‘Swimming is only permitted in the Mixed, Ladies’ and Men’s Ponds for safety reasons.

‘Entering other non-lifeguarded water bodies is extremely dangerous, against our byelaws, and causes significant harm to wildlife habitats.

‘We always seek to engage with visitors first, but the Constabulary will take enforcement action where necessary, including issuing fines or making arrests.’

Concerns were raised for nesting birds at Snettisham beach, which sits in Snettisham Nature Reserve in Norfolk, after photographs emerged of people walking their dogs off-lead along the coast.

Swimmers also attempted to defy a temporary ban at nearby lido Parliament Hill this week, after it was forced to close due to an ‘altercation’ alleged to have seen one person hit over the head with a vodka bottle.

Posts on social media appeared to show visitors still queuing for hours despite the closure, with reports that some tried to access the site anyway.

Meanwhile in Ruislip, west London, videos showed a packed out lido with dozens of people in the water despite the site’s red flag clearly flying – meaning swimming is strictly prohibited.

The flags typically mean there is no lifeguard on duty and there are hidden hazards present, such as poor water quality or toxic algae.

Yet many took the risk to take the plunge, despite warnings from authorities about the danger of taking to the water without the proper assistance or supervision.

At least ten people have died after finding themselves in difficulty in Britain’s seas and lakes since the heatwave began, many of them young teenagers.

Eight children as young as 12 have died, as well as a grandfather in his 60s and a woman in her 70s.

And in the Lake District a furious farmer took matters into his own hands and sprayed dozens of cars with slurry after they parked in a field, ignoring signs to the contrary.

Phone footage shows at least 20 vehicles, including Mercedes, Jaguars and BMWs, parked on private land near Rydal Water, in the Lake District, Cumbria, covered in muck.

At the start of the video, a sign is visible which reads ‘Polite Notice – DO NOT PARK IN THE FIELD’ and above is another sign which says ‘SHEEP IN FIELD’.

One black Mercedes appears to have been drenched in the manure mixture, while other fuming owners can be seen assessing the damage.

Parking in the beauty spot has been a long-standing issue, with further pressure piled on during the bank holiday and summer periods.

Cumbria Police had previously warned visitors to the national park to park vehicles in an ‘appropriate place’ which follows the ‘highway code’.

A spokesperson for Cumbria Police said: ‘Police were made aware at 10pm on the 25 May of reports of cars having been sprayed with suspected cow slurry at a location near to Rydal.

‘Our Neighbourhood Policing Teams are carrying out further enquiries to determine the full circumstances.’

Beachgoers were also criticised for inconsiderate and even illegal parking this week.

In Formby emergency crews struggled to get through traffic gridlock caused by visitors to Formby beach, with footage showing them becoming stuck or having to drive on pavements to get through.

The crews were trying to respond to a call concerning the safety of a 15-year-old girl, who was later taken to hospital.

Sefton councillor Lynne Thompson has since called for more parking facilities and said 700 fines were issued over the bank holiday weekend.

Meanwhile Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council hit out at visitors also parking illegally, and said it had issued 2,844 fines over the same period.

Even many visitors who did follow local advice were lambasted by residents this week after images emerged of beaches and parks covered in litter.

Tourists have been accused of abandoning their waste at some of the UK’s best-loved beauty spots and at popular coastal sites including Bournemouth and Barry Island.

Video footage showed plastic bottles, the remnants of barbecues and broken glass strewn across the sand.

In Bournemouth police had to be called on Tuesday after a large mob of people gathered on the beach. Police said a fight descended into widespread disorder and that three people were arrested.

In Cromer, North Norfolk District Council took to social media to share their own footage of the waste left behind, and said extra cleaning crews had been required in response.

A statement read: ‘Following the bank holiday weekend, additional cleaning crews were called to Cromer today to clear up a significant volume of litter, left behind on the beach.

‘Amongst the waste collected included broken glass bottles, and foil packaging, some of it concealed in the sand and posing a risk of injury to beach-goers and animals.’