Priti Patel: ‘Minority putting nation’s health at risk of Covid-19’

Police will not “waste time” trying to reason with rule-breakers

Priti Patel has said a minority of the public are “putting the health of the nation at risk” as she backed a tougher police approach to lockdown rules.

Speaking at a Downing Street press briefing the Home Secretary, said that officers are moving more quickly to issuing fines where people are clearly breaching coronavirus regulations, with nearly 45,000 fixed penalty notices issued across the UK since March.

Pressed on whether the rules are tough enough, Ms Patel said: “The rules are actually very simple and clear.

“We are meant to stay at home and only leave home for a very, very limited number of reasons.

“The rules are tough enough – you’ve already heard 45,000 fixed-penalty notices have been issued just in the recent time since we’ve been in this pandemic.”

Martin Hewitt, chairman of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, told the briefing that officers will not “linger” trying to encourage the public to obey lockdown rules.

He added police will not “waste time” trying to reason with people who have “no regard” for the safety of others.

Mr Hewitt said: “It is very clear that we are now at the most dangerous stage of the pandemic.

Martin Hewitt, Chair of the National Police Chief's Council, during a media briefing in Downing Street
PA

“There is a real and present risk that our health service could be overwhelmed and people – our friends and family – could die needlessly from this virus.

“So, we must all play a part in stopping that from happening.

“Ten months on, the rules are clear and I urge everyone to abide by them.

“With a virus spreading so rapidly through contact with others we should all be asking ourselves whether our reason to leave home is truly essential.

“Those personal decisions are critical.”

Mr Hewitt gave examples of recent breaches including a boat party in Hertfordshire with more than 40 people who had each paid £30 each for a ticket.

A minibus full of people from different households travelled from Cheltenham into Wales for a walk, he said.

Separate figures published by the UK’s statistics agencies for deaths where Covid-19 has been mentioned on the death certificate, together with additional data on deaths that have occurred in recent days, show there have now been 99,000 deaths involving Covid-19 in the UK.

The Government also said that, as of 9am on Tuesday, there had been a further 45,533 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK. It brings the total number of cases in the UK to 3,118,518.

Earlier Crime and Policing Minister Kit Malthouse said officers would be adopting a new “high-profile” approach to enforcing the rules that could include stopping members of the public to ask why they are not at home.

Britain’s most senior police officer, Met Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick, also warned that officers in London will move swiftly to fine people who blatantly ignore the regulations.

UK On Lockdown Due To Coronavirus Pandemic
Dame Cressida Dick
Getty Images

Leaders of police groups called on the Government to clarify the “incredibly vague” rules, which saw two women incorrectly fined for driving five miles from their Derbyshire homes to meet for a walk.

Tesco, Waitrose, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons have all outlined a stricter approach to masks in their stores.

Meanwhile, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said ministers will consider whether key workers such as police, teachers and essential shop staff should be prioritised once the most vulnerable have received the coronavirus vaccine.

Police leaders are pushing for frontline officers to get the vaccine after the highest priority groups have received their jabs.

Dame Cressida wrote in the Times that officers are “sometimes inevitably in close contact” with members of the public, while John Apter, chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said rank and file officers urgently need protection.

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