Paths behind Rushden Lakes closed due to social distancing fears

The lakeside paths behind Rushden Lakes shopping centre have been closed because they were too busy for walkers to observe social distancing guidelines.

Paths around Skew Bridge and Ditchford Lakes behind the shopping centre have been shut by The Wildlife Trusts Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire (BCN).

In a statement on Rushden Lakes' twitter account, the trust said: "In light of the government's guidelines, we have taken the hard decision to close our nature reserves and/or paths where, due to high footfall it is not possible to safely observe social distancing.

"As a result, the path around Skew Bridge and Ditchford Lakes have now been closed."

The government social distancing guidelines says people should stay a minimum of 2m away from others.

There have been fears that it is not possible to observe these guidelines in busy public spaces like parks.

Some outdoor public spaces have been busy with people taking their one exercise trip a day.

The Wildlife Trust said: "The majority of the nature reserve remains open with free access, including the rest of the Nene Wetlands, which can be accessed using the path next to AJ Cycles."

The Nene Wetlands covers 270 hectares, which is the same size as more than 600 football pitches.

The trust said: "We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your understanding at this difficult time."