Coastguards have begun patrolling beaches and will be reporting anyone flouting lockdown rules to police.

Teams are now helping Devon & Cornwall Police to prevent non-essential travel and mass gatherings on beaches, which are against the government regulations currently being enforced during the coronavirus pandemic.

These are to stay at home except to pick up essential supplies, exercise once a day, travel as a keyworker or in an emergency situation.

The rules also state that people should remain in family units and not mix with others, with all non-essential travel banned.

However, some people continue to gather in open spaces and on beaches, particularly during the recent spell of fine weather.

As a result, volunteer coastguard teams will be the eyes of the police, who have the power to move people on and issue fines for anyone breaking lockdown regulations.

A spokesperson for Porthoustock Coastguard Rescue Team said: "We will be patrolling beaches in our area numerous times a day and at various times.

"All findings will be reported to our ops room to report back to the police.

"Remember, you are not to be driving to a place to exercise or walk your pets or have mass gatherings.

"The message is simple: stay at home and save lives."

The aim is for the coastguards to identify local hot spots where people are going in high numbers, gathering information to feed back to police who will then take action.