Just popping to shops, eh? Luxury cars registered up to 400 MILES away are spotted in Cornwall... amid row over people fleeing to their second homes
Luxury vehicles worth up to £150,000 were today spotted in a Cornish town popular with wealthy second home owners - but their numberplates reveal they were registered hundreds of miles away.
Motors including a £40,000 BMW X3 and a £30,000 Land Rover Discovery Sport were also seen in car parks in the village of Rock, which is home to celebrities including chef Gordon Ramsay and comedian Harry Enfield.
Numberplate records revealed the vehicles pictured were registered up to 400 miles away in places like London, East Anglia and Shrewsbury, suggesting they could be owned by motorists not from the area.
Among the most expensive motors photographed in the coastal fishing village was a Bentley Bentayga V8 Auto costing upwards of £146,700 new and had been registered in Norwich in September 2019.
The location of numberplate registration does not necessarily mean the car's owner is from the same area, and some of the vehicles could also be leased from companies based outside the region. However the range of locations seen on vehicles in Rock today suggest that a number of motorists there are not from Cornwall.
It came as the Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon and Cornwall said high-profile figures have the chance to positively influence the nation by not travelling to the South West after the third national lockdown began.
A Bentley Bentayga worth at least £146,700 is seen today in Rock, Cornwall. It was registered in Norwich in September 2019
This Mercededs ML 320 CDI Sport A pictured in the Cornish village of Rock today was registered in London in March 2009
This BMW X3 pictured in Rock this morning was registered in Exeter, Devon, just four months ago in September 2020
This Land Rover Discovery Sport R-DYN SE was registered in Shewsbury in July 2020 and pictured in Rock this morning
Alison Hernandez said: 'We know Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly are absolutely beautiful and it's totally understandable that people would want to spend time here.
'However, at a time when stopping the spread of this terrible virus is more important than ever, I must urge people not to make unnecessary journeys to the region. I would particularly like to appeal to celebrities and high-profile social media stars.
'By not conducting unnecessary trips to the region, you will be setting a fantastic example to the wider public and, in doing so, encouraging more people to stick to the rules.
'I would urge you to lead by example and together we will come through this. There will, of course, come a time when Devon and Cornwall can welcome back visitors with open arms.
'And while that time isn't now, I would urge you all to #ComeBackLater. This new strain of Covid-19 is spreading much faster and we must do everything we can to protect our residents and the NHS.'
This BMW X4 M Competition Auto seen in Rock today has a personalised numberplate and was registered in December 2019
This Porsche Macan S was registered in Manchester in late 2019 and pictured at a car park in Rock this morning
This BMW X5 XDrive 30D SE AUTO pictured in the Cornish village of Rock this morning was registered in London in April 2015
A BMW M440I XDrive MHEV Auto was registered in Exeter in October 2020 and pictured on a road in Rock this morning
There have been cases of people journeying to the region to visit second homes, including one recent high profile incident which resulted in officers turning away five people from tier four areas on the Isles of Scilly.
** Are people travelling to second homes in your area? Please email: tips@dailymail.com **
Princes William and Harry, actor Hugh Grant and producer Jemima Khan have been previously known to visit the exclusive resort of Rock which has been dubbed 'Britain's St Tropez' and the 'Kensington of Cornwall'.
Ramsay was criticised during spring last year for moving to a £4.4million second home at Trebetherick in Cornwall in mid-March, shortly before the coronavirus crisis prompted the first nationwide lockdown.
The Government has said people must not stay away overnight during the latest lockdown without a reasonable excuse, adding that visits to second homes are banned.
Holidays in the UK and abroad are also not allowed, including staying in a second home or caravan. People must also not stay overnight with anyone they do not live with unless they are in a support bubble.
An Audi Q3 S LINE was registered in Bournemouth in July 2015 and pictured in the Cornish village of Rock this morning
A BMW 530I registered in Nottingham in May 2020 was also seen in a car park in Rock, Cornwall, this morning
A Land Rover Freelander HSE TD4 registered in Exeter in July 2013 was also seen in a car park in Rock this morning
The Cornish village of Rock (file picture) is home to celebrities including chef Gordon Ramsay and comedian Harry Enfield
Some exceptions do apply such as if people are unable to return to their main residence, need accommodation while moving house or for work, or need accommodation to attend a funeral.
Guest accommodation providers such as hotels, B&Bs and caravan parks may remain open for the specific reasons set out in law, including where guests need accommodation while moving house.
This afternoon in London, Boris Johnson warned it would take time to ease lockdown restrictions in England which could be in place until the end of March.
The Prime Minister said there was 'no choice' but to issue the stay-at-home order and close schools given the spread of coronavirus, particularly the more infectious new variant.
Addressing MPs after the recall of the Commons from its Christmas break, Mr Johnson said there was now a race between the spread of the virus and the delivery of vaccines to the most vulnerable.
** Are people travelling to second homes in your area? Please email: tips@dailymail.com **