WIRRAL yoga instructors said they are “overwhelmed” by the support from the local community after being forced to stop their beach yoga sessions.

Instructors, Vicky Morgan and Pippa Buist, have run free yoga sessions on Leasowe beach for the local community for several years.

However, the pair were contacted by Wirral Council to postpone their sessions due to needing permission to use the beach for public activity.

Posting on Facebook, Pippa said: “After years of peacefully and respectfully enjoying our beaches for yoga it is with a heavy heart I have to write this post.

“I have been contacted by the Wirral Council general parks manager who has informed me that our sessions have been brought to his attention. I must apply to use the beach for any activity where the public are invited.

“I have sent my application this morning, however the general parks manager has informed me this process may take months.

“I will keep you updated and hope to be able to use and be back out on the beach again to continue our sessions. Until then I will be using the gardens at Poulton Hall and any other location outdoors we can find as well as indoor sessions.

“If anyone has information that is helpful regarding this matter, if you are a group who has been through this process and can shed any more light I would greatly appreciate it. Namaste and love to you all.”

Vicky Morgan also took to social media to share the news with her fellow yogis, stating: “It breaks my heart to say this, but there will be no beach yoga for the foreseeable as I have been contacted by Wirral council and told that I need to have permission from them for "any activity where the public are invited".

“I have sent off an application today but have been told this could be a lengthy process. Fingers crossed we get the right outcome.

“I genuinely didn't know I needed this, especially since it's a free event.

“I know there are lots of other similar activities on the beaches, swim groups, moon gatherings, yoga, meditation, fitness, etc.

“If anyone can shed some light on this for me, like how long it took for them to get their application granted, I would really appreciate it. Until next time.”

The pair have been met with hundreds of messages of support from members of the local community with one resident setting up a petition to save the beach yoga sessions which has more than 1,400 signatures.

A Wirral Council spokesperson said: “Anyone who organises a public event on council-owned land needs to let the council know so we can check that it can be carried out safely, legally and in a way that considers the use of that land by others.

“This is primarily to protect the organisers of events should anything go wrong, but it is also our legal responsibility as the landowner.

“In this instance, the organisers – having been made aware of the need to have their activity approved – have completed an event form which will be considered by the Wirral Event Safety Advisory Group shortly at their regular monthly meeting. 

“The council supports and promotes hundreds of activities such as this in parks, open spaces, along the coast and in other public places every day – but we just need to know organisers have taken everything into consideration beforehand.”