Portsmouth City Council have revealed how drones were used to “understand how the seafront was being used”. Councillor Lynne Stagg, Traffic and Transportation member of City Council, said how it “wasn’t advertised as it was important that we were able to gauge how the spaces were currently being used”.
A section of the seafront has since been closed by the council over social distancing concerns. Signs have been installed to encourage citizens to move along, while marshals will patrol beaches to discourage people from lingering. Benches have also been removed to prevent loitering along with the shutdown of several cafes.
This comes after Derbyshire police were criticised for overzealous policing during the first lockdown. Big Brother Watch called this move “sinister” and “counter-productive”.