Parks will be closed in the evenings after people put lives at risk and flaunted government guidelines to go out in the sun.

Waltham Forest Council has announced it will close Sidmouth Park and Langthorne Park in the evenings.

The council has moved in response to people flaunting government coronavirus guidelines to stay inside, as temperatures reached 15 °C today (April 4).

From 6pm tonight the council will close the Leyton and Cathall parks.

In a tweet, a council spokesperson said residents "aren't following social distancing rules."

They added: “The parks will reopen each morning. Not respecting these rules puts lives at danger, including our council officers. Stay home. Save lives.”

At the daily Downing Street press conference yesterday, England's chief nursing officer Ruth May pleaded for people to stay indoors following the deaths of two nurses.

Areema Nasreen and Aimee O'Rourke, who were both in their thirties and each had three children, died this week fighting Covid-19.

She said: "This weekend is going to be very warm and it will be very tempting to go out and enjoy those summer rays.

"But please, I ask to remember Aimee and Areema.

"Please stay at home for them."

The Met Office has also pleaded for the public to stay home.

A spokesperson said: “Please remember, despite the sunny weather, during this coronavirus crisis the Government advice is to only go outside for food, health reasons or work, to stay two metres (6ft) away from other people and to wash your hands regularly.”

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