Lake will be drained if people continue to flout lockdown rules

Visitors have been travelling from as far away as Birmingham to enjoy a day at Clevedon's Marine Lake

Clevedon’s Marine Lake could be drained and closed – if people continue flout social distancing guidelines.

Bosses at the Marine Lake Enthusiasts Society (MARLENS) say the seafront attraction has been inundated with visitors since the Government lockdown restrictions were eased.

Volunteers who manage the lake say people have been flocking to the attraction to swim – with some travelling from as far as Birmingham.

Following a packed weekend where people were seen lining the lake, social distancing markings have been put around its edge.

But if people continue to ignore the measures, MARLENS representatives say they will drain the lake to solve the issue.

The lake is one of the only open water swimming spots in the region.

Marlens chairman Joe Norman said: “People have been coming from as far as Birmingham to swim.

“Apart from the sea, Marine Lake is one of the only open swimming spots in the region and it is proving a real magnet for people in this hot weather.

“People were sitting around the lake and having barbecues.

“What people seem to forget that although the lockdown has eased slightly we are still in the middle of a pandemic and everyone needs to act responsibly.”

Notices have also been put up around the lake urging people not to use the island in the middle and adhere to the new social distancing markers at all times.

“Yesterday there was a lot of people around the lake but because of the distancing markers, we felt that there was a reduced risk,” said Mr Norman.

“By in large people have been co-operative and helpful.

“We do not want to close the lake, especially to local people for whom it is a valued and much used resource, but if the situation worsens it is an option we may have to consider.

“We have kept the lake open through the pandemic so far for the local people who use it to exercise.

“But after the Prime Minister said it was OK to travel for exercise we have seen a real surge of people from right across the region and further afield.”

There are fears the lake will also be packed this coming weekend with temperatures expected to soar into the mid-twenties.

“If it gets extreme over this weekend, we will close and drain it.

“There are overtopping tides next week which would refill it again,” said Mr Norman.

Mr Norman said he had also contacted Clevedon’s neighbourhood policing team to ask them to make regular patrols of the lake over the weekend.

The issues with the lake come at the same time as North Somerset Council has closed the Salthouse Fields car park on the seafront in a bid to limit the number of visitors to the resort.

Seafront car parking has also been suspended along The Beach in a bid to allow more space for social distancing for pedestrians.