A MASS gathering of cars and people reportedly occurred at Daneshill estate in Basingstoke, flouting new government 'rule of six' guidelines.

A source, who asked not to be named, saw the meet-up, which was at the industrial estate on Whitney Road, posted on a friend's Facebook page.

"Hundreds of people and cars! How is this even allowed?" they said.

"I can’t report this as the police are only interested in incidents happening in real time, but surely they can trace everyone by their number plates?

"This is ridiculous and happening in my town!"

The source said that the person who posted about the meet-up also has young children.

"It’s totally irresponsible," they said.

The police said that they had no record of the meet-up being reported to them.

In a statement released earlier today by Hampshire Constabulory, Assistant Chief Constable Maggie Blyth said: "We must all continue to take personal responsibility to prevent the spread of this deadly virus. Our approach throughout the pandemic has been to engage, explain and encourage people to comply with the regulations, and this will continue.

We will use common sense and discretion to determine what is reasonable.

As a last resort, we will enforce, whether it’s by directing people to leave an area, or issuing a fine. We have found that the majority of breaches reported to us can be resolved without having to issue a fine.

As you will expect, we have proportionate plans in place with dedicated patrols, and we will be out in our communities, speaking to people and making sure they understand what is required.

You can tell us about possible breaches of regulations via our website."

The 'rule of six' came into force on Monday, September 14, and means that social gatherings of over six people in England are banned.

This breach comes after The Gazette reported on a similar gathering at Basingstoke Leisure Park on Sunday.