British beaches are becoming "unmanageable" due to large swathes of visitors, local authorities have warned, prompting fears around keeping people safe in the water.
The coastguard had its busiest day for more than four years yesterday, when the UK recorded its third-hottest day ever, as it dealt with more than 300 incidents.
Thanet District Council asked people to avoid four of the area's beaches, including Margate's Main Sands, due to the number of visitors.
Leader of the council Cllr Rick Everitt said: "Early on, it became clear that they were going to reach levels of which we were concerned about." Authorities expressed concern about keeping tourists safe in the water, as well as the potential spread of Covid-19 and maintaining social