The leader of Maldon District Council is 'disappointed' to see people ignoring social distancing measures in the lead up to the national lockdown.

Cllr Wendy Stamp said 'large numbers' have been ignoring social distancing in the districts parks and open spaces in the last week.

On Tuesday, England entered a third national lockdown in a bid to combat the new strain of coronavirus, which transmits much faster than the original virus.

Mrs Stamp said the lockdown was 'inevitable' but people must stick to the rules.

She said: “In light of the rising Covid-19 cases across the Country as a whole, it was inevitable that we would need another National Lockdown.

"I hope that this will have the required effect and that together with the increase in testing and the vaccine deployment, we can look forward to a brighter future.

"As we know, under the new Lockdown rules, our car parks and play sites will remain open, however, it is extremely important that we still maintain social distancing particularly when undertaking our essential shopping or our daily exercise in our Parks and Open Spaces.

"Over the last few days, it has been disappointing to see large numbers of people ignoring this.

"However, I would like to thank the large numbers of residents who have been strictly following the rules and who continue to support our community through this difficult time.

"I now urge you all to, Stay Home, Protect the NHS and Save Lives."