Yahoo Finance Surfer defends 600-mile round trip during lockdown to catch 'unmissable wave'
A surfer has made a 600-mile round trip during lockdown to catch Britain's biggest wave.
Jeff Scott drove 300 miles from his home in Sussex and back to surf the infamous Cribbar wave in Cornwall, dubbed the “Widow Maker”.
But his trip has been met with criticism from locals who described his actions as "disgusting" given that only essential travel was allowed during lockdown.
Scott, from Eastbourne, said he was "sorry" for any upset but said it was an "unmissable wave".
Read more: What you can and can't do under current lockdown rules
Devon and Cornwall Police said it was now making inquiries to see if any enforcement action is necessary.
Inspector Guy Blackford said: "We were made aware of reports that a person may have driven from out of the force area to Newquay to surf.
"An officer is now making enquiries to see whether any restrictions were broken and what enforcement action is required.
"It was slightly disappointing to see so many people out walking in the same place yesterday, clearly attracted by the lure of watching surfers on the big waves.
"Unfortunately this also caused issues with parking in the surrounding area as well.
"The police are not here to determine how people take their form of daily exercise but we would ask that people stick to the spirit of the rules and remember why they are in place."
Scott said he would justify his actions if police were to speak to him.
He claims he filled up with fuel prior to travelling and took his own food so he didn't need to stop in a shop.
In a statement, he added: "I did everything to minimise the impact and mitigate any risks.
"The Cribbar is my local big wave and if I could have surfed it at home I would have.
"I'm happy to speak to police as I took every legal and moral provision."
Scott said he apologised to anyone who "took offence" but added: "This was simply a one-off unmissable opportunity."
Legendary surf spot the Cribbar breaks only when the swell, wind and tide conditions are right.
It hits the UK coastline just a handful of times a year and is famed for its ferocity and power.
The phenomenon is actually a short series of waves, and is known as the “Widow Maker" or “Bone Cruncher" because of the extreme danger of riding them.
Watch: What you can and can't do during England's third national lockdown
