Thirty tourists found in CLOSED cafe — breaching Covid rules

Cafe owner Andy Hinson, of The Beach Shack at picturesque Steephill Cove, was horrified when he found 30 people in his cafe on Wednesday, while it was closed.

It seemed some people had opened the gate and trespassed to shelter when it started raining, and other people on the beach followed their lead.

He's only allowed 14 people inside due to Covid social distancing rules.

Andy said: "It was my day off and I decided to go kayaking. The cafe is closed on Wednesdays, other than that we are flat out.

"I came back from kayaking as it had started raining, and found the cafe full of people, all holidaymakers.

"They had opened the gate — we don't usually have anyone doing that down at Steephill Cove — and were all piled in taking shelter.

"Not only that, they were eating their own packed lunches and food bought from elsewhere. They had moved all the tables and there were 30 people packed into an area currently for 14.

Crowds packed into the Beach Shack, while it was closed.

"I told them my cafe was private, they were trespassing and breaking social distancing rules and their reply was that it was raining, as if the rules didn't matter.

"They didn't give a monkeys for Covid, but I don't know what implications there would be for me and the business if all these people had been caught in there.

"I think they had all followed each other in like sheep, but they left all their crap behind and I had to clean and sanitise the whole cafe afterwards."

Some people had taken their shoes off, and others were feeding their children lunch — which can be seen in the photos Andy took.

When Andy started asking them to leave, he was told he was being rude.

He said: "It is an example of the problems a lot of publicans and restaurateurs are having with the general public at the moment, who don't care for the rules we have to abide by."

The Beach Shack at Steephill Cove.