Richmond Park custodians the Royal Parks have told people not to arrive by car this weekend.

The charity wants to avoid a repeat of the situation last Saturday and Sunday when huge numbers of people visited, leading to gridlocked roads and deer being penned in by large crowds of people.

"Last weekend, the first of this lockdown, large numbers of people travelled to Richmond Park to get some valuable time outside," the Royal Parks said today in a post on Facebook.

"Access to parks and green spaces is especially important for everyone at the moment and the number of cars caused car parks to fill up quickly, resulting in serious congestion and gridlock in the surrounding area.

"Unfortunately that meant many people spent hours stuck in traffic instead of enjoying the benefits of being in the park.

"To avoid a similar situation we are asking people not drive to Richmond Park this weekend, as drivers may not be able to enter the park.

"If you usually drive because you live far away, please consider visiting somewhere local.

"Take care and enjoy your weekend."

The charity added on Twitter: "All Royal Parks saw an increase in visitors last weekend as people got some much-needed time outside.

"If you're planning on visiting any of the parks this weekend we recommend earlier in the morning as a good time to avoid potential crowds."

Last weekend in the park:

• car parks filled up by mid-morning as traffic on roads in and surrounding the park came to a standstill
• young deer were "penned in" by large groups of visitors
• police hinted at possible breaches of the lockdown restrictions on gatherings
• drivers were warned against parking on the grass

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