Parliament Hill Lido on Hampstead Heath closed after an incident during Bank Holiday heat. The lido shut on Monday following a fight and stayed closed on Tuesday, with reopening expected on Wednesday. The City of London Corporation, which manages the Heath as a registered charity, condemned unacceptable behavior and said the closure was made for the safety of staff and the public. The Metropolitan Police Service attended and is investigating. The lido was extremely busy due to hot weather, with long queues reported. A cafe user reported reports of violence, including a vodka bottle and knives, and criticized security as too light. Previous fights have occurred at the lido, including an injury in 2018 during a queue incident.
"The popular swimming spot was shut on Monday following the incident and remained closed on Tuesday. It is expected to reopen on Wednesday, according to the Lido's webpage. A spokesperson for the City of London Corporation, which manages the Heath as a registered charity, said they condemn the unacceptable behaviour which let to the site's closure. The Parliament Hill Lido is one of the capital's most well-known outdoor swimming spots."
"Before the incident occurred it was particularly busy as crowds of people sought an escape from the Bank Holiday heatwave, with reports on social media of people queuing for an hour and 40 minutes to get in. One regular cafe user said they heard one person had hit another over the head with a vodka bottle and added there were reports of individuals being found with knives. The Met Police has been contacted."
"A Corporation spokesperson said: We condemn the unacceptable behaviour that led to the temporary closure of the lido on Bank Holiday Monday. Following an altercation involving a small number of individuals, we took the decision to close for the safety of our staff and the public. The Metropolitan Police Service attended and are investigating. We will reopen as soon as it is safe to do so."
"The cafe user said the lido had issues with gangs pre-Covid though that since then the space had been better managed. They added that during hot weather the clientele changes as more people seek an escape from the heat. On the lido security, they said: They didn't do body searches. People should have been searched. The security seems to have been really light."
Read at www.standard.co.uk
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]