Coronavirus: Aerial shots show east coast seafronts deserted

Seaside spots around the east coast that would normally be teeming with visitors were eerily quiet as people observed the coronavirus lockdown over the Easter weekend.

Apart from a few residents taking their permitted exercise and giving their dogs a stretch on the sand, popular beaches in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex were almost empty, aerial pictures show.

Southend-on-Sea Borough Council went as far as publicising a "Don't Visit Southend" campaign before the weekend, urging tourists to stay away to protect the local population.

It thanked people on Twitter for staying at home and said nearly £10m in grants had been paid out to 944 small businesses to try and keep them afloat during the pandemic.