Councils have been forced to close parks and other public spaces in a bid to protect people from coronavirus.

Following concerns that people are failing to practice social distancing in open spaces, councils across the UK have made the decision to close their parks.

Essex County Council, Carmarthenshire County Council, Leicestershire County Council and Hammersmith and Fulham Council are among those that have taken this decision.

Nick Rushton, leader of Leicestershire County Council, explained: 'It's with regret that we've taken the tough decision to close our parks. I had wanted to support the health and wellbeing of our residents during these unprecedented times. But people's safety is my priority. Put simply, if there are too many people in the parks, it's impossible to keep to the government's social distancing advice.'

Cllr Stephen Cowan, leader of H&F Council said: 'Our parks have been full of people this weekend with a significant proportion ignoring government guidelines on social distancing. This raises the serious likelihood of cross-infection. By closing our parks, we are putting the safety of all our residents first.'

Other councils across the UK said they are monitoring the situation and will take action if necessary.