Seaton Carew car parks closed to prevent virus spread after walkers breach guidelines and drive to beach

Hartlepool Borough Council has shut the car parks it operates until further notice.

Tony Hanson, the council’s Assistant Director (Environment and Neighbourhood Services), said: “If you go outside to exercise, your activity must start and finish at your home, and if Seaton Carew beach is within close walking distance, you can use the beach as part of that, provided you use it sensibly and adhere to the social distancing rules.

“Unfortunately, numbers of people have been driving to the beach in breach of the national instructions not to make unnecessary journeys.

“To deter people from doing so, on police advice we have today closed the three Seaton Carew beachfront car parks – Newburn Bridge, the Rocket House and the Coach & Car Park until further notice.”

Related: 15 pictures of deserted Hartlepool as town enters second week of lockdown

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper.

Thank you