Police called after Londoners looking to cool down swim with wildlife

Swimmers looking to cool off in the heatwave are having police called on them for aggravating wildlife at Hampstead Heath.

More than a dozen swimmers were found on Friday in the nature pond, cooling off among the swans.

They had seemingly ignored the barbed wire and glaring signage erected by the City of London Corporation.

Hampstead Heath Constabulary and ParkGuard battled to bring them back to the land, but many Londoners are desperate to cool off as the city’s lack of free blue spaces mean many resort to breaking the rules.

Before Covid-19, the Hampstead Heath ponds used to be free with no booking required.

Lidos have also become oversubscribed, leaving little option for people desperate to escape the heat.

And those in poorer areas suffer the most in heatwaves, as their access to green and blue space is limited.

On Collingwood Estate in Sutton, south London, residents say they are ‘cooking’ and suffering heat exhaustion with temperatures reaching 30C by 4am, they told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The Mayor of London announced he will improve access to these spaces in his ‘Heat Ready London’ plan.

Sir Sadiq told Metro: ‘It is not just an issue of the environment, but of social justice. In the 2022 heatwave, we saw 400 premature deaths, 4,000 going to A&E, extreme challenges to our public transport and big pressure of the fire service.’

But it is not just during the heatwave. Over New Years, watching fireworks at iconic spots became ticketed and commercialised.

It was only 12 years ago in 2014 when London’s New Year’s Eve firework display became ticketed for the first time.

And popular free viewing spots such have started to be closed off to the public.

Primrose Hill, Parliament Hill, St James Park, Greenwich park and Vauxhall Bridge all close before the main event begins.

The City of London Corporation told The Standard: ‘As well as our own Constabulary, we’ve put additional security and patrols in place across the Heath, particularly around the Lido and Model Boating Pond.

‘Entering any other water body is extremely dangerous and risks both lives and wildlife.

‘We want all visitors to enjoy their time on the Heath, and we’re asking everyone to behave responsibly, and respect the space and those who care for it.’

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