Francesca Street, CNN • Updated 6th March 2021 FacebookTwitterEmail (CNN) — Back in June 2020, as the the UK's first Covid-19 lockdown started to ease, a bout of beautiful weather culminating in the hottest day of the year saw people flocking to the country's beaches. Within hours, the southern coastal town of Bournemouth had declared a "major incident" as it was swamped by traffic, trash, and unmanageable numbers of people. Despite issuing pleas for visitors to stay away, local officials reportedly issued hundreds of parking fines and collected 33 tons of waste, citing "irresponsible behavior and actions of so many." "It was extreme what we saw out there," Bournemouth resident Peter Ryan, who runs a 700-strong team of volunteers who keep the area's shores clean, tells CNN Travel. "It wasn't just the beach which was trashed, it was the streets, the town center, the gardens, it really did leave it in a dreadful state."