Norfolk’s large coastal towns have remained quiet on the hottest day of the year to date, while reports suggest smaller villages and beaches have been inundated with visitors.

Eastern Daily Press: People enjoying the beach at Waxham in the hot weather. Picture: DENISE BRADLEYPeople enjoying the beach at Waxham in the hot weather. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Copyright: Archant 2020)

The streets of Great Yarmouth and Cromer were almost deserted on Wednesday as temperatures hit the mid twenties, but elsewhere beaches at Sea Palling and Horsey saw large numbers of visitors, with day trippers parking on roads and scenes resembling a bank holiday.

Andy Hanson, manager of Wyndham Holiday Park in East Runton which is currently closed because of coronavirus, said Cromer was very quiet: “Cromer is dead, there’s nobody here that shouldn’t be here.”

Mr Hanson, who has been keeping holiday home owners who are unable to visit their properties during lockdown updated on social media said he was surprised not more of the town’s residents were making use of the beach.

“There’s not a person on the beach either, there’s nobody on the beach at East Runton. I’m amazed at how quiet it is,” he said.

Eastern Daily Press: Fletcher Herod, seven, leaps about as he enjoys the beach at Waxham with his brother Charlie, four, in the hot weather. Picture: DENISE BRADLEYFletcher Herod, seven, leaps about as he enjoys the beach at Waxham with his brother Charlie, four, in the hot weather. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Copyright: Archant 2020)

Pictures from Great Yarmouth showed similar scenes, with only one or two people milling around the Market Place and Regent Road and the Golden Mile all but deserted.

READ MORE: ‘Our village is not a tourist attraction’ - Anger over number of day trippersHowever, in Horsey, David Vyse, a volunteer for Friends of Horsey Seals, which were called to the beach to assist an injured animal, said the number of cars in the beach car park resembled a bank holiday.

He said: “We came through Sea Palling and Horsey car park is full up, it’s like a bank holiday, and people are parking on the roads.”

On Wednesday, North Norfolk District Council, announced it would be reopening nine of its 39 public toilets from Friday, May 22, but that its message to visitors was still ‘stay away’.

Eastern Daily Press: The centre of Great Yarmouth resembled a ghost town on the hottest day of the year as its market place was deserted and its main drag of Regent Road was empty of large numbers of people. While there were queues at some shops, market and chip stalls were empty and at lunchtime there were only appeared to be only a few families visiting the resort and its Golden Mile. Picture: staffThe centre of Great Yarmouth resembled a ghost town on the hottest day of the year as its market place was deserted and its main drag of Regent Road was empty of large numbers of people. While there were queues at some shops, market and chip stalls were empty and at lunchtime there were only appeared to be only a few families visiting the resort and its Golden Mile. Picture: staff (Image: Archant)

READ MORE: How has the coronavirus outbreak affected you?Kay Colby, from Sea Palling, said: “Looking at Sea Palling today I would think that half of Norfolk are blatantly ignoring this [stay away] message and treating it as an early bank holiday.

“I’ve watched people so eager to get to the beach they are hitting parked cars trying to squeeze in gaps obviously not big enough to get into, family units of five adults and associated children,” she said.

Despite being quiet in the morning, Hunstanton swelled with visitors towards the end of the day until the tide came in to drive people off the beach.

Eastern Daily Press: Friends Alfie Atoe, 11, and Anya Herod, 10, enjoying the beach at Waxham in the hot weather. Picture: DENISE BRADLEYFriends Alfie Atoe, 11, and Anya Herod, 10, enjoying the beach at Waxham in the hot weather. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Copyright: Archant 2020)

Eastern Daily Press: The centre of Great Yarmouth resembled a ghost town on the hottest day of the year as its market place was deserted and its main drag of Regent Road was empty of large numbers of people. While there were queues at some shops, market and chip stalls were empty and at lunchtime there were only appeared to be only a few families visiting the resort and its Golden Mile. Picture: StaffThe centre of Great Yarmouth resembled a ghost town on the hottest day of the year as its market place was deserted and its main drag of Regent Road was empty of large numbers of people. While there were queues at some shops, market and chip stalls were empty and at lunchtime there were only appeared to be only a few families visiting the resort and its Golden Mile. Picture: Staff (Image: Archant)

Eastern Daily Press: Francis Dodman and her daughter, Lola Laurie, 21-month-old find shells on the beach at Waxham as they enjoy the hot weather. Picture: DENISE BRADLEYFrancis Dodman and her daughter, Lola Laurie, 21-month-old find shells on the beach at Waxham as they enjoy the hot weather. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Copyright: Archant 2020)

Eastern Daily Press: Crowds flock to Hunstanton on a sunny day. Visitors have been urged to observe social distancing Picture: Chris BishopCrowds flock to Hunstanton on a sunny day. Visitors have been urged to observe social distancing Picture: Chris Bishop (Image: Archant)

Eastern Daily Press: Cromer beach on a quiet day during lockdown. Picture: Chris BishopCromer beach on a quiet day during lockdown. Picture: Chris Bishop (Image: Archant)

Eastern Daily Press: Cromer's famous pier was close to visitors and deserted Picture: Chris BishopCromer's famous pier was close to visitors and deserted Picture: Chris Bishop (Image: Archant)