POLICE broke up a crowd listening to music in the street at the weekend.

On Sunday afternoon, a large group gathered as buskers performed in Ship Street, Brighton.

Footage shows people dancing as an electric guitarist plays near The Ivy restaurant.

A woman can be seen trying to push a pram through the crowd.

The Argus: The crowd in Ship Street, Brighton. Eddie Mitchell.The crowd in Ship Street, Brighton. Eddie Mitchell.

Sussex Police said it dispersed the group “quickly and peacefully”, reminding the buskers of their “responsibility in drawing in a crowd” amid the coronavirus crisis.

The gathering took place before new rules limiting groups to a maximum of six people were introduced today.

There were fears of a “party weekend” before the fresh restrictions came into force.

Last week, the Police Federation warned: “There is a real risk some members of the public will take advantage of the current situation and treat this weekend as a party weekend ahead of the tighter restrictions being introduced on Monday.”

Previous rules allowed groups of up to 30 to meet, but social gatherings of more than six people indoors or outdoors are now banned in England.

Anyone who fails to comply could face a £100 fine, which will double on each offence up to £3,200.

The government introduced the measures as the R number – the reproduction number of coronavirus transmission – climbed above one.

According to government advisers, the last time R was above one was in early March.

A spokesman for Sussex Police said: “Police dispersed a large group of people who had gathered in Ship Street, Brighton, on Sunday afternoon.

“Officers engaged, explained and encouraged and then spoke with buskers, giving words of advice about their responsibility in drawing in a crowd.

“No fines were issued and the matter was resolved quickly and peacefully.”