Durdle Door: Hundreds ignore police warnings and flock to beaches and parks after serious cliff injuries

‘Tombstoners’ jump from 200ft high sea arch day after three seriously injured after jump from cliffs

Hundreds of people have ignored police warnings and flocked to the beach at Durdle Door in Dorset a day after three people were seriously injured jumping off cliffs into the sea.

Images showed so-called tombstoners jumping from the 200ft high sea arch again on Sunday, despite the dangers, as thousands headed to beauty spots to enjoy the sunshine.

It comes as Dr Jenny Harries, the deputy chief medical officer, urged people to be sensible with their new freedoms at this "critical time" as the government began to ease the lockdown.

She told the Downing Street briefing: "Where we are seeing that government is easing measures the public really, really need to stick to those messages and it is not just about what it is possible to do, it's about what it is sensible to do and what is sensible to do is have as few interactions as possible as you can with other people in all settings."

Police, the ambulance service, the coastguard and the RNLI were called to the beauty spot in Dorset on Saturday after three people were seriously injured.

Hundreds ignored police warnings and visited the beach (Andrew Matthews/PA ) (Andrew Matthews/PA)

Air ambulances landed at the scene and crowds of people left the beach as it was evacuated along with the surrounding cliff area.

That evening Dorset council said Durdle Door and nearby Lulworth Cove would be closed “until further notice”.

Dorset Police also tweeted: “Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove remain closed today along with approach roads to the area.

“Please do not travel as you will be turned away.”

An air ambulance lands on the beach at Durdle Door on Saturday after people were seriously injured while jumping from the cliff (PA)

However, images taken on Sunday showed hundreds of people on the beach.

Others could even be seen jumping into the sea.

A person jumps into the sea from Durdle Door (Andrew Matthews/PA)

Lulworth Coastguard Rescue Team (CRT) posted on Facebook to say people had been jumping from the arch “encouraged by the crowds on the beach” on Saturday.

As well as the three seriously injured men, police dealt with alcohol-fuelled minor scuffles.

A woman also suffered a suspected broken ankle on Saturday and there was a small but out of control fire from a barbecue.

A person stands on the rocks above the sea at Durdle Door (Andrew Matthews/PA)

“Upsetting scenes like we and many others witnessed yesterday illustrate how very dangerous tombstoning is,” CRT said.

“We couldn’t discourage it enough.”

People walk towards the beach at Durdle Door (Andrew Matthews/PA)

It came as the UK braced for the hottest day of the year and the public were reminded to practice social distancing ahead of the easing of lockdown restrictions on Monday.

Tuesday could be the warmest day of 2020 so far, with Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill telling The Independent there was a “reasonable chance” of temperatures reaching as high as 29C.

Mr Burkhill said the rest of the week would see a slight drop in temperatures with showery rain around the UK.

“It is going to be a bit more changeable than it has been. Temperatures will be lower than they have been, but not massively.”

Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, said it was a "sensitive moment" in the country's exit from lockdown but added: "We can't just stay in lockdown forever. We have got to transition."

Asked whether the lockdown will be tightened again if infection rates increase, Mr Raab told Sky News' Ridge on Sunday: "We will target, if there is any uptick, and it could be in a locality, it could be in a particular setting, we will target very carefully measures that would apply to it so that we can take these steps but also keep control of the virus."