Police braced for influx of Bournemouth beach visitors

Against this backdrop of a surge of calls – and with warm weather forecast – senior officers are braced for an influx of visitors to the conurbation's beaches this weekend.

As well as urging people to act in a safe and responsible way, police are also asking them to take a moment before calling them out if it is not an emergency – so as not to tie up vital resources that may be needed in a real emergency elsewhere.

Superintendent Richard Bell, Dorset Police silver commander for summer policing said: "We have been working with partners throughout recent weeks to ensure we have a detailed plan in place to cope with the expected influx of visitors to our county during sunny spells this summer.

“We are all keen to welcome visitors to our area but we want to ensure people enjoy what Dorset has to offer in a safe, respectful and responsible manner that does not place an additional strain on all emergency services and public resources.

“We have been putting additional resources in place, including high visibility patrols at key hotspots, and this will continue throughout the summer.

“However, it may be that at times of peak demand we will have to prioritise the deployment of our officers and resources to those communities and locations which are most vulnerable, threatened or at risk of harm.

“Members of the public can help us to manage the level of demand by acting in a sensible manner and taking a moment to think before they call the police if it is not an emergency. Sadly we do get a number of nuisance or unnecessary calls into our control room and these can be a drain on our resources, particularly during busy periods."

If you do have a matter that needs reporting and is not urgent, consider using the ‘Do it Online’ facility at www.dorset.police.uk or email 101@dorset.pnn.police.uk, officers say.

But Superintendent Bell stressed: "Clearly, if life is in danger or a crime is in progress, we would always urge people to call 999 immediately.”