Harrow Council was forced to shut a car park after people continued to flout government rules around social distancing.

It took the decision to close Old Redding Viewpoint car park after people were seen “gathering in groups” and behaving anti-socially.

It explained that some had been driving over grass while others were clearly going against government guidelines that are in place to try and stop the spread of coronavirus.

“Sorry we’ve had to do this – been happening too many times. We will review again but in the current emergency crisis and to reduce the spread of virus it will remain closed,” the council tweeted.

It noted that the area will remain open for residents to use as part of a daily exercise routine and reminded people to obey social distancing guidelines.

This includes staying at least two metres away from anyone not in your household and limiting outdoor trips for exercise or fresh air to once a day.

Last year, Harrow Council decided to shut the gates to the Viewpoint car park at 6pm each night to discourage anti-social behaviour.

It came after it reported several instances of “nuisance and anti-social behaviour” including “vandalism” and “reckless driving”.