Visit Brighton has renamed itself Do Not Visit Brighton as efforts are stepped up to discourage people from crowding the seafront again this weekend.

We’ve changed our name as we are urging people not to Visit Brighton. #StayAtHome Protect the NHS. Save Lives. Thank you! — DoNotVisitBrighton #StayAtHome (@Love_Brighton) March 27, 2020

The renaming follows a video message yesterday from council leader Nancy Platts urging people to stay away as the toll from coronavirus continues to climb.

The weather is expected to be sunny and dry, if rather fresh and breezy, making a seafront stroll an attractive way of exercising.

But the police are expected to patrol the prom to try to prevent people from ignoring the rules on social distancing.

Brighton and Hove City Council said: “More than 50 banners reminding people to follow social distancing rules are being printed.

“The banners will to go up along the seafront, from the Marina to Hove Lagoon, and will be in place early next week.”

They urge people to stay two metres apart.

Public Health England said today (Friday 27 March) that 14,543 people in Britain were now confirmed to have tested positive for coronavirus, up 2,885 since yesterday.

The latest cases include the Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the Health Secretary Matt Hancock, with chief medical officer Chris Whitty also self-isolating after showing symptoms.

In Brighton and Hove there have now been 33 confirmed cases of covid-19, with 86 in West Sussex and 39 in East Sussex, making 159 across Sussex as a whole.

The latest figure for the number of deaths is 759, an increase of 181.

Here is the video message from Councillor Platts …