The leader of Maldon District Council has spoken of her disappointment at people breaking social distancing rules - and has urged residents to stick to them as the new lockdown comes into effect.

In a statement on the new lockdown, Councillor Wendy Stamp said: "In light of the rising Covid-19 cases across the country as a whole, it was inevitable that we would need another national lockdown.

"I hope that this will have the required effect and that together with the increase in testing and the vaccine deployment, we can look forward to a brighter future."

Cllr Stamp then confirmed that car parks and play areas will remain open, but made reference to the social distancing issue.

She added: "As we know, under the new lockdown rules our car parks and play sites will remain open - however, it is extremely important that we still maintain social distancing particularly when undertaking our essential shopping or our daily exercise in our parks and open spaces.

"Over the last few days, it has been disappointing to see large numbers of people ignoring this.

"However, I would like to thank the large numbers of residents who have been strictly following the rules and who continue to support our community through this difficult time. I now urge you all to, Stay Home, Protect the NHS and Save Lives."