PRIME minister Boris Johnson has said the chaotic scenes at Bournemouth beach last week were “completely unacceptable”.

Mr Johnson said people must behave responsibly at seaside resorts during today’s Prime Minister’s Questions.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer had asked the prime minister if he had ‘regretted being so flippant’ about concerns over visitors flocking to seaside towns during hot weather after a major incident was declared in Bournemouth.

Sir Keir Starmer said: “The Prime Minister can’t just bat away challenge. These are matters of life and death, other people’s livelihoods.

“An example of this, last week the Member for Hove (Peter Kyle) asked the Prime Minister how can seaside towns be expected to cope with likely influx of visitors to beaches and parks during the hot weather?

“The Prime Minister replied, show some guts. Two days later Bournemouth beach was closed with 500,000 visitors, a major incident was declared. Does the Prime Minister now regret being so flippant?”

Mr Johnson replied that he was making it “absolutely clear that as we go forward with our plan, our cautious plan for opening up the economy, it is very, very important that people who do represent seaside communities, places where UK tourists will want to go, should be as welcoming as they can possibly be”.

He added: “But it is also vital that people have to behave responsibly and that is why the scenes in Bournemouth were completely unacceptable and that is why we stick to the advice that we have given.”