The manager of the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) has praised the behaviour of visitors to beauty spots near Wells.

Following the easing of lockdown restrictions, car parks were busy within the AONB, particularly at Deer Leap.

Yesterday (May 16), Visit Somerset urged tourists to only visit the area if they were coming for exercise and from less than a hour's drive away, but the AONB unit's manager Jim Hardcastle has said that visitors to the hills seemed to be well behaved.

He said: "As we expected the car parks were all very busy.

"I'm pleased to say I found very little litter when I was visiting all the sites and everyone seemed to be following the Countryside Code.

"Can we remind people that if they head for a well known site they shouldn't be surprised to find the car park full.

"Visitors should follow the latest government advice and stay alert around the touch points of gates and stiles, and remember that local people who live and work in these areas need to be able to carry on with their lives and feel safe."