IN a statement to the Echo yesterday, Dorset Council appeared to change its mind on the reason for traffic jams on Weymouth Esplanade.

Initially the council said the congestion was caused by the partial closure of Custom House Quay, the north side of the harbour - but in a later statement the tailbacks were blamed on "beach weather."

Read more: Weymouth gridlock blamed on harbourside closure

A Dorset Council spokesperson said: “It’s not unusual for Weymouth Esplanade to see high volumes of traffic on ‘beach weather’ days.

“The congestion seen on the seafront (on Tuesday) was caused mainly due to the Pavilion Car Park being full and drivers needing to turn back to find alternative parking.

“We’re reviewing our signage for the harbour closure as well as our live car park information to ensure drivers can make informed decisions.”

The statement came after the council's Travel Dorset service tweeted on Tuesday to warn drivers to avoid the area, due to a build up of traffic caused by an influx of visitors combined with harbour road closures.

It tweeted: 'Very heavy traffic queuing northbound between the Pavilion and King Street. Not helped by the closure of part of Custom House Quay due to social distancing measures and extra holiday traffic in the area.'

Meanwhile, Esplanade businesses and residents were emphatic that the cause was due to the harbour traffic changes.