RICHARD DAWKINS has branded Brighton beachgoers as “people of very low intelligence”.

The author of The God Delusion shared The Argus’s report on pictures of people at the beach on Twitter this afternoon.

The renowned biologist said: “Dumb Britain. Social distancing on Brighton Beach by people of very low intelligence.

The Argus:

“American friend tells me she gets dirty looks for wearing a mask because Fox News public thinks Covid-19 is a conspiracy to unseat Trump.”

The pictures show people at the seaside as the county basked in the hottest temperatures of the year.

The mercury rose to a scorching 33.3C (91.94F) at Heathrow Airport in west London on Thursday, beating Wednesday’s high of 32.6C (90.68F) at the same location.

Chief medical officer for England Professor Chris Whitty urged people to follow social distancing rules in the hot weather or risk causing a spike in coronavirus.

Responding to Mr Dawkins’ comments on Twitter, one person tweeted: “We can’t all be as smart as you Richard.”

The Argus:

Another Tweeted: “Why is it that our animal instincts precede our capacity for logic as a species? Do the anatomy’s of animals evolve faster than their cognitive functions? Or is this inductive to humans only?”

A huge amount of plastic cups, crisp packets and more was dumped by beach-goers as they soaked up the sun on the seafront yesterday.

It took a team of council workers five hours to clear the debris from just a 600 metre stretch of beach.

From Brighton Marina to Hove Lawns, there is about three miles of beach.

The waste was discarded by people who had made a bee-line for the seafront as the mercury skyrocketed.