Video shows Bournemouth beach louts brawl as three are stabbed amid violence in 33C sun
THIS is the shocking moment a group of men brawl in Bouremouth as three were stabbed during yesterday’s 33C heatwave.
The footage appears to be taken in front of a shuttered Happyland Amusements and shows at least a dozen shirtless men in shorts and towels fighting.
A large crowd watches the brawl between the men who are seen hitting each other with large sticks and other objects.
It is unclear what started the fight.
The chaotic scenes were filmed in the same area where three men were stabbed yesterday evening.
The men, all in their 20s and from London, were hurt during a fight near the amusements on Bournemouth pier.
They were all taken to hospital for treatment by the ambulance service for non-life threatening injuries.
Dorset Police said one man sustained a stab wound to his back and has since been discharged from hospital.
A second man sustained an injury to his face and the third was injured in the chest and arm.
Neighbourhood Inspector Jon Wasey, of Bournemouth police, said: “I know this incident will be incredibly concerning to the local community, but I would like to reassure you that we will continue to provide a visible presence and support detectives in identifying the offenders and bringing them to justice.
“I would continue to stress that we are asking people listen to the Government advice and if the beach is busy and you can’t socially distance, please go home to protect our NHS.
“Local officers will be patrolling in the area and can be approached with any community concerns.”
Mass brawls also broke out at Orcombe Point, Devon and Ogmore-by-Sea in Glamorgan, Wales yesterday.
BEACH CHAOS
Yesterday, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council said it had no choice but to declare a major incident and condemned the behaviour of crowds, some of whom got involved in fights.
But beach-goers still left their rubbish behind, with waste collections including deck chairs, bins and boxes of food.
Seagulls in Bournemouth were seen surrounding the litter as they scavenged for left over spoils.
On Thursday morning, Bournemouth beach teams collected 33 tonnes of rubbish from the stretch of coastline- and the figures are likely to have been similar today.
Council leader Vikki Slade said: “We are absolutely appalled at the scenes witnessed on our beaches, particularly at Bournemouth and Sandbanks.
“The irresponsible behaviour and actions of so many people is just shocking and our services are stretched to the absolute hilt trying to keep everyone safe.
“We have had no choice now but to declare a major incident and initiate an emergency response.”
Bournemouth East MP Tobias Ellwood said 500,000 people had visited Dorset.
He told BBC Breakfast this morning: “This place was deluged and social distancing went out the window and that’s why a major incident was declared, because the local authority and indeed the police couldn’t cope.
“The beach should have been closed down, or at least shut down to prevent further people from entering it.
“We need to learn from this and recognise that if we’re going to be serious about tackling this pandemic then we need to be swifter in being able to provide support to local authorities who are unable to cope.”
Of the stabbings, Detective Inspector Gavin House, who is leading the investigation, said: “We are carrying out a full and thorough investigation to determine who was responsible for this incident.
“The public can expect to see an increased police presence near to the pier today as detectives continue their inquiries in the area.
“I understand there was a large number of people on the beach at the time of the incident and I would urge anyone who may have important information to assist my investigation to please get in touch.
“I am keen to hear from anyone who may have video footage of the incident and would please ask that you do not post or share this online out of respect for the injured people.
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Anyone with information is asked to contact Dorset Police at www.dorset.police.uk, via email 101@dorset.pnn.police.uk or by calling 101, quoting occurrence number 55200091886.
Alternatively, to stay 100 per cent anonymous, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers online at Crimestoppers-uk.org or call freephone 0800 555 111.
The Sun Online contacted Dorset Police for a comment.