Absolutely nobody was surprised to see that the Lake District was rammed with visitors this weekend.

After all - it is without doubt one of the most beautiful spots in the country.

However, there is a certain global pandemic going on and some people were hopeful that visitors would stay away due to concerns over spreading the coronavirus and putting further strain on our emergency services.

Politicians, Cumbria Police, health chiefs and the media lined up to warn would-be holidaymakers of the risks of travelling to the county’s beauty spots.

It was therefore depressingly inevitable that the easing of lockdown restrictions, coupled with outlandishly good weather, would see a throng of visitors crowd the Lakes District and cause havoc.

Social media was awash with pictures of lakeside roads teeming with traffic, and fell paths with very little social distancing being adhered to - it is, after all, hard to give someone a two-metre-wide berth when the path is only a metre wide to begin with.

Emergency services have also taken to social media to denounce the outbreak of terrible parking that occurred in the national park over the weekend, as it transpired that ambulances had been struggling to get past cars and vans parked up on the roadside.

There were also reports of people bagging themselves a Wainwright or two - despite the express wishes of Cumbria’s mountain rescue teams to stay off the fells.

Even the most seasoned walker runs the risk of slipping and twisting an ankle, accidents happen and the fell tops can be a dangerous and unforgiving place at times.

If you can’t get off the fell unassisted, that means a call out to one of the mountain rescue teams, the members of which could then be exposed to COVID-19 because of the actions of one walker.

The mountain rescue teams routinely put themselves at risk for the good of the greater public - it’s not too much to ask that we then show them some gratitude and respect their wishes.

With all that said - it is still possible to enjoy the Lake District responsibly. By avoiding travelling at peak times, and by staying away from the tourist hotspots, isolated exercise is possible, but perhaps it is best to just stay away.