The coastguard has urged the public not to ignore the government’s stay-at-home message after recording its highest number of distress calls in a single day since the lockdown began. The rescue service said it dealt with 97 incidents on Friday, more than one and a half times the daily average over the previous month. Matt Leat, the coastguard’s duty commander, said: “I completely understand that the weather and the bank holiday coupled with the fact that we’ve been in this lockdown situation for just over six weeks has tempted people out to our beautiful coasts. However, as the government said only yesterday, it’s really vital that we all continue to observe the guidance.” He said the coastguard would always respond to a 999 or distress call, but he reminded those who were breaking lockdown rules that every rescue put frontline responders at risk and the NHS under avoidable pressure. “Please, please continue to observe the #StayHomeSaveLives message – it’s still in place for a reason. Exercise locally and stretch your legs, not our resources.” Meanwhile in London, police admitted they were “losing the battle” to stop people gathering in parks as temperatures soared. Hackney police tweeted: “Sadly we’re fighting a losing battle in the parks today. Literally hundreds of people sitting having pizza, beers, wines. As always a big thank you to those that are observing the guidelines.” Saturday was predicted to be the hottest day of the year to date, with temperatures set to reach 26C in parts of the UK, including London and the south-east.