THE Isle of Wight Council have today made a statement regarding people walking their dogs on local beaches.

The statement reads:

"The Isle of Wight Council has agreed to extend the period of time that dog walkers can use beaches to exercise with their dogs, beyond 1 May when the normal restriction comes into force.

"This decision will help people to follow government guidelines for social distancing when exercising by keeping the beach available for this purpose and reducing the need for people to converge on alternative areas.

"People are reminded to only ever walk to the beach for this purpose, in line with national guidance, which states that people should stay local, use open spaces near to their home, and not travel unnecessarily.

“If people can access beaches on foot from their homes then they should ensure they are practicing social distancing measures — keeping two metres apart from others outside their household.

"Unless people are with members of the same household, gatherings of more than two people in public spaces should not take place.

“People should not sunbathe, picnic or otherwise use the beach for anything other than daily exercise for themselves or their dog.

"You are also reminded to only leave the house for very limited purposes and practice social distancing when doing these activities, everyone should be minimising time spent outside of the home and ensure they are two metres apart from anyone outside of their household."