HOLIDAYMAKERS flocked to Dorset and Hampshire during a busy, bumper-packed bank holiday weekend.

In Bournemouth hotels were almost full to capacity and the cliff lift, land train and the amusement arcade at Pier Approach all reported brisk business.

People made the most of Bank Holiday Monday’s good weather with 70 per cent of seafront deckchairs in use, said a Bournemouth Tourism spokesperson.

She said: “The bank holiday weather has been changeable but visitor numbers to the town have been good.

“Hotels are busy and buoyant and there has been steady business across the resort.

“There was also a great turnout for the National Beach Volleyball Championships at Boscombe.”

Boscombe restaurant Urban Reef also said it saw good trade over the bank holiday with its customers munching their way through 45 kilos of mussels, 30 kilos of bacon and 50 steaks.

Thirsty customers were expected to have slurped up to 750 cups of coffee, 200 smoothies and 500 beers by the Bank Holiday Monday.

Vice-chairman of Bournemouth Area Hospitality Association (Baha) Alison Gandalfi said there had been lots of last minute bookings by people wanting to get away for just one or two nights.

Sharon Green, of Adventure Wonderland at Hurn, said they had more than 1,000 visitors on Saturday.

“We were pretty busy.

“There has been a lot of people coming in.

“It’s been a pretty good weekend,” she said.

Mark Annis, co-owner of Eileen Soper’s Illustrated Worlds, an Enid Blyton-themed attraction based at Poole Quay, said they had also had “a busy time” over the bank holiday.

“I think we have been surprised at just how many people have been around on the wet days,” he said.

Vicky Evans, of SurfSteps surf school in Boscombe, said they had been “really busy”, attracting up to 70 customers by noon on Bank Holiday Monday.

“It’s been a beautiful bank holiday weekend and lots of customers,” she said.

The popular Studland Country Fair and classical music festival Serenata contributed to heavy traffic flow on the Sunday.

Traffic was also said to be heavy on roads around the New Forest on Bank Holiday Monday lunchtime.