Surfers ignoring social distancing by taking to the waves

There has been an angry reaction to pictures showing hundreds of surfers ignoring social distancing by taking to the waves at a popular Cornish beach.Dozens of people were pictured in the sea at Fistral Beach in defiance of the coronavirus lockdown.Surfing has been officially banned in countries such as Portugal, Spain and Italy - but no direct legislation has been brought in for the UK.Members of the surfing community claim they are entitled to be out on the water as part of their permitted daily exercise. But there are concerns that the nature of surfing and the numbers involved are making it virtually impossible to observe the necessary social distancing.Stunned on-lookers said the scene in the sea at the beach in Newquay, Cornwall, today (Thursday) and around the town was not different to what they would normally expect to see on a sunny day.One said: "I could not believe it.

Walking around Newquay there were people everywhere dressed in wet-suits and holding surf boards."You wouldn't have thought there was a pandemic.

It feels more like a hot sunny day. "Although there wasn't many people on the beach sunbathing, I was shocked by the numbers that were in the water. "Although some are social distancing, it is very difficult to know when riding a wave who is near you, or who you might bump into."Tourism bosses and locals have repeatedly pleaded with both holidaymakers and second home owners to stay away from Cornwall during the Easter Holidays

There has been an angry reaction to pictures showing hundreds of surfers ignoring social distancing by taking to the waves at a popular Cornish beach.Dozens of people were pictured in the sea at Fistral Beach in defiance of the coronavirus lockdown.Surfing has been officially banned in countries such as Portugal, Spain and Italy - but no direct legislation has been brought in for the UK.Members of the surfing community claim they are entitled to be out on the water as part of their permitted daily exercise.

But there are concerns that the nature of surfing and the numbers involved are making it virtually impossible to observe the necessary social distancing.Stunned on-lookers said the scene in the sea at the beach in Newquay, Cornwall, today (Thursday) and around the town was not different to what they would normally expect to see on a sunny day.One said: "I could not believe it.

Walking around Newquay there were people everywhere dressed in wet-suits and holding surf boards."You wouldn't have thought there was a pandemic.

It feels more like a hot sunny day.

"Although there wasn't many people on the beach sunbathing, I was shocked by the numbers that were in the water.

"Although some are social distancing, it is very difficult to know when riding a wave who is near you, or who you might bump into."Tourism bosses and locals have repeatedly pleaded with both holidaymakers and second home owners to stay away from Cornwall during the Easter Holidays