Coronavirus: Residents in Tier 4 flock to Hove seafront

On Sunday, people awoke to flooded roads and downed trees, after the storm hit the south coast through the night.

An amber weather warning remained in place until 9am, when the strong winds and heavy rain stopped.

But by the afternoon, hundreds of residents made their way to Hove seafront to enjoy the break in the weather.

Pictures show crowds walking along the path on the second day of Tier 4 restrictions.

The measures, which were introduced on Boxing Day, are aimed to slow the spread of a new variant of coronavirus.

Reacting to the announcement made last week, council leader Phélim Mac Cafferty said people should stay at home to "save lives".

Pictures show crowds walking along the path on the second day of Tier 4 restrictions

He said: “Once we go into Tier 4 on Boxing Day, the message is clear, you must not leave or be outside of your home except for specific purposes such as essential food and household shopping, essential work that cannot be done at home and medical appointments.

“Going into Tier 4 – Stay at Home will be hard for many of us. But staying at home means saving lives and preventing the spread of the pandemic while the vaccine roll out picks up pace. So it’s vital we look out for each other and play our part.

“There’s lots of support for people in the city who are feeling anxious, lonely or who are experiencing financial or relationship difficulties."

The new measures mean non-essential shops, hairdressers and leisure and entertainment venues are closed.

Households are also not allowed to mix but one person is allowed to meet with one other person outside in a public space.