WATCH: police deploy drone in Peak District amid coronavirus lockdown

The force said its drone unit has been out at beauty spots across the national park as police crack down on people choosing to ignore new rules, which can now result in them being fined and even arrested.

The drone footage, which was taken at Curbar Edge on Wednesday, shows cars parked in both the car park and on the hill up to it.

A bags of stones at the entrance as a roadblock had been pulled to the side to allow cars to enter, police said.

The force said “plenty of people” were walking up the attraction.

They tweeted: “Some number plates were coming back to keepers in Sheffield, so we know that people are travelling to visit these areas.

“Daily exercise should be taken locally to your home. Under government guidance all travel is limited to essential travel only.”

The force said some officers also had to break up a group having a picnic on Wednesday.

They said: “Whilst the government has advised to take one form of exercise a day, it is not appropriate to be getting in your car and travelling to take this exercise, particularly to a location, such as the Peak District that in normal times can become busy.

“We saw last week where such places in Derbyshire and other parts of the country became dangerously overcrowded, making social distancing extremely hard, and in fact today our officers have had to break up a group having a picnic.

Derbyshire Police said they will “not be apologetic for using any legal and appropriate methods to keep people safe.”

They added: “These are all lovely things to do but not in the middle of a pandemic that is literally costing people their lives.”

“Our actions and the government’s advice are there to keep you and others safe and ensure that our NHS is able to cope in order to save as many lives as possible.”