STORE CRAZY
Brits hit parks and DIY stores after warnings to stick to social distancing amid fears lockdown is breaking
BRITS today hit parks and DIY stores despite repeated warnings to stay home over fears restless people are breaking coronavirus lockdown.
Pictures show queues of people snaking around car parks after hardware stores were labelled "essential" during the coronavirus crisis.
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Shoppers flocked to The Range in Derby today wearing protective including face masks and gloves.
Some arrived to queue up with trollies before the store even opened as bosses asked customers to follow social distancing guidelines.
The budget store sells essentials including food, toilet rolls and pet food - as well as paint, furniture and plants.
Brits also flocked to B&Q after it reopened half its stores across the UK.
A huge queue of people were snapped in the car park of one store in Edinburgh as they stood 2m apart.
In York, shoppers piled out of B&Q with plants and planks of wood to fill their time in lockdown with DIY.
B&Q is limiting the number of customers in the stores at any one time, and has installed screens at checkouts and floor markers to help social distancing.
LOCKDOWN FATIGUE
Brits also ventured out to parks today to enjoy the sunshine as temperatures soared.
Londoners flocked to Greenwich Park for their daily exercise - while sunbathers there were told to move along by police.
In Primrose Hill, one man was bizarrely spotted walking his parrots, while others basked in the balmy weather.
A traffic warden was also pictured joining in a game of football at the park in North London.
Others rode bikes in Wimbledon, South West London, while police were spotted talking to beach-goers in Bournemouth.
SPREAD SLOWING
It comes after Britain today saw one of its smallest daily rises in coronavirus deaths this month.
A total of 20,732 have now lost their lives to the disease, with 413 deaths reported in 24 hours.
It is almost half yesterday's number of 813.
Speaking of the figures at the daily No10 briefing today, NHS chief Professor Stephen Powis said: "All our efforts, hard though they may be, have begun to pay off."
But he warned now is not the time to say "we've done a great job" as he urged Brits to continue social distancing.
Prof Powis added: "My fear, as the fear of all of us, is that those curves won't continue to be on a down trend but will start to go in an upward trend.
"We are not at a point where any of us can be absolutely confident that that is not going to be the case - we want to avoid a second peak, we want to avoid a rise."
Yesterday, Priti Patel yesterday told Brits it is "imperative" to follow lockdown rules.
The Home Secretary warned "we are not out of danger yet" as she thanked people for their "spirit of national unity".
Police could now increase on-the-spot fines for coronavirus lockdown breakers after Ms Patel spoke to the National Police Chiefs' Council on Friday.
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The meeting came amid a worrying rise in the number of people venturing out in glorious sunshine to parks, beaches and shopping centres.
There are fears fed-up Brits have developed lockdown fatigue after being forced to stay at home for five weeks to stop the spread of the virus.
The UK has seen a rise in car and train use as the warm weather led many to defy ministers’ instructions and head outdoors.
Police chiefs and the government have repeatedly begged the nation to obey the rules.
MOST READ IN NEWS
Dominic Raab today rejected fresh calls for an early lifting of lockdown as the pandemic is still at a "delicate and dangerous" stage.
He also warned of a "second spike" if lockdown measures are lifted too early.
Speaking to Sophy Ridge on Sunday, the Foreign Secretary thanked Brits for their efforts during lockdown but made it clear there were no plans to ease measures yet.
The Foreign Secretary said the government would proceed "cautiously" to avoid a deadly second wave of the virus.
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B&Q and Homebase shoppers flock to reopened stores as lockdown Brits start to venture out