POLICE have been patrolling a Teesside park where there had been plans to hold mass gatherings to protest the coronavirus lockdown.

Posters for the event, which appeared on social media this week, had advertised a "peaceful" mass gathering a Preston Park, in Stockton, urging people to attend with picnics and had been widely condemned by local politicians and Cleveland Police, who described them as “reckless”.

It is not clear who was behind the posters, which were made for about 60 other protests across the UK today, and also say "no to mandatory vaccines”.

Four PCSOs from Cleveland Police were present in the park to monitor the situation.

One said: "It looks like it's a no show."

He added: "The park looks the same as it has all week."

The Northern Echo:

The park remained relatively quiet, though dog walkers, families and people on bicycles were taking the opportunity to have some fresh air and exercise.

The car park has remained closed this week to discourage large numbers of people from visiting. 

One woman, who is a nurse at James Cook University Hospital and was visiting the park with her daughter, said she was unaware of the event.

She said: “I’ve been in the hospital so it’s nice to get out and about but I think people also need to be keeping distance.

“This is an area which has one of the highest rates of Covid. I think VE day had a lot to answer for with people having parties.

“I think the restrictions should still be there. We haven’t got the numbers down enough to get back to normal.”

Another woman, who did not want to give her name, said: “I hadn’t heard about it to be honest.

“At the moment I would say people are sticking to the lockdown.

“Everyone I know is quite happy with it.”

A Stockton Borough Council worker, who has returned to work this week to keep the park tidy, said: “There are a few more people coming to the park now. Some are obeying the rules and some aren’t.

“There’s definitely a few more people out. If the weather had been a bit better I think it would have been chokka.

The Northern Echo:

“This is my first week back. It was a bit of a mess with rubbish but it wasn’t too bad.”

This week, restrictions have eased slightly. People are now able to spend longer outside, including taking as much exercise as they want and resting for longer.

However, people are still being urged to keep two metres apart and are not allowed to meet more than one person from another household at a time.