'NOW is not the right time to travel to west Dorset'.

That is the message to visitors after groups of people were fined by police for travelling to West Bay and Lyme Regis last weekend - some from as far as London.

The fine weather meant some people were keen to get out and travel to the coast - however, they breached Covid regulations in doing so.

In total, six people were issued with £200 fines as people broke lockdown rules to travel to the area.

Four people riding motorcycles were issued with fixed penalty notices at West Bay on Sunday, having travelled to the area from Purbeck.

This followed two people being fined for travelling from London to Lyme Regis on Saturday.

The events have prompted a warning for people to stick to the rules, stay in their own area and not be tempted to travel to the seaside - although the weather may put people off today.

Dave Rickard, leader of the Bridport Town Council, said: "This is not the time to go out and do what you please - the timeline issued by the government is clear and well publicised.

"It's too soon to think it's all over. Although the (Covid cases) are coming down we know from experience that it doesn't take much for the numbers to go the other way.

"The vaccination programme will be a huge help but people under 50 still haven't been vaccinated and so it's very important that we continue to follow the rules and keep everyone safe."

He added: "I understand people are getting restless, but if you are going to do something, you need to do it properly. We want everyone to stick to the rules and do this lockdown properly so that when we do get back to normal we won't have to take all the precautions and constantly be looking over our shoulders. Let's make sure we get this right."

Fixed penalty notices can be issued for breaches of lockdown rules, including travelling to Dorset from out of town, protesting against the lockdown and being out without a good excuse.

Superintendent Heather Dixey of Dorset Police said: “We would like to remind the public that we remain in a national lockdown and everyone is being asked to stay at home and only travel for a limited number of reasons.

“No matter how challenging it may be, it is really important for everyone to continue to follow the rules over the coming months. We all have a responsibility to stick to the restrictions to ensure that we can move forward and not have to take a step back.

“Travelling from other parts of the country to visit the Dorset coastline is a blatant breach of the rules, which remain in place to stop the spread of the virus, protect the NHS and save lives. We will continue to engage, explain and encourage people to follow the rules, however if blatant breaches take place we will move to enforcement.

“The Government has announced their roadmap for how lockdown restrictions will be gradually lifted this summer. Trips to Dorset are not far away, but please be patient. Now is not the right time.”