Day-trippers heading to Dorset are being urged to think again by authorities who want to protect the county's low virus infection rate.

There are fears that families will start flocking to the coast from today after an easing of lockdown restrictions announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Authorities say there is a danger that people travelling here from areas with a higher rate of infection will 'spread the virus to local people'.

Although we are still encouraged to stay at home as much as possible, travelling to outdoor open space irrespective of distance is now allowed as long as people practise social distancing. This means people can potentially drive to Dorset and head to the beaches and even go swimming in the sea.

But Dorset Council said councillors and many local residents are concerned about the potential impact this new guidance may have on spreading the virus and increasing the infection rate, particularly as the county has a large elderly population.

The south west of England has had 7,044 confirmed COVID-19 cases to date. This means the region's rate of infection - at 126 per 100,000 residents - is the lowest regional rate across the country.

The Dorset Council area also has one of the lowest infection rates compared to other local authorities in England.

The council's message to visitors is 'Thinking of visiting Dorset now? Please think twice'.

However it it is going to be difficult for authorities to turn visitors away following the new guidance.

Dorset Council has decided that, at this early stage, car parks at visitor destinations including beaches and country parks across Dorset will stay closed for the time being. The only exception is the Swannery car park in Weymouth which will re-open later this week for road safety reasons. Public toilets will also remain closed due to the difficulty for social distancing to be maintained at these facilities.

Some council-run car parks in town and village centres have remained open through the COVID outbreak for local residents. These will continue to remain open but parking charges will now be reintroduced.

Dorset Council Leader Cllr Spencer Flower said: “Our overriding priority is the safety and wellbeing of Dorset residents. We want to discourage people from outside the county and from areas with a higher rate of infection than Dorset from visiting our beaches and beauty spots, and inadvertently spreading the virus to local people.

“We are working closely with our partners including Dorset Police to monitor and review the situation. We will adapt our approach when the situation changes.”

Up until now beaches and beauty spots have remained very quiet as many residents have co-operated well with the government’s lockdown over recent weeks, even in warm weather.

Cllr Flower added: “People who may be thinking of visiting Dorset from elsewhere in the country need to ask themselves, is this safe? Is this fair? We really look forward to welcome visitors back to our beautiful county in future, but it’s too early to take the risk right now.”