Just TWO people fined this year for not wearing face covering in shops

RETAILERS‘AT RISK OF ABUSE’FROM RULEBREAKERS

ONLY two shoppers in North Wales have been hit with fines for not wearing a face mask this year but a plea is made to keep following the rules to keep people safe.

Not wearing a face covering in indoor public spaces such as shops and on public transport has been an offence throughout the year, with £60 penalties for breaking the rules.

A majority of shoppers have respected the rule but some have refused to wear masks and it has been difficult for retailers to enforce without putting staff at risk of verbal and even physical abuse.

Police can issue a fixed penalty for breaches of these requirements. A first offence is punishable by a penalty of £60, and this doubles for each subsequent offence, up to a maximum of £1,920.

But in reality it is low down on the priority list for busy police officers.

Our sister paper The Daily Post made a freedom of information request to the local force to see how many fines had been dished out. The results of the request showed there had been just two fixed penalties for not wearing as mask in 2021 and these were both in retail settings.

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “The risk of Covid hasn’t gone away and we all need to continue to do our part to keep Wales safe. This means sticking to the rules, following the steps which keep us safe, including face coverings when required.”

Sara Jones, head of the Welsh Retail Consortium, said: “Throughout the pandemic, retailers have made the safety of staff and customers their top priority. Over the last 20 months, retailers have done what is necessary to keep the public as safe as possible and will continue to implement all necessary measures.

“This include continuing to communicate the need for face coverings through in-store signage and other channels.

“However, it is vital that we do not place hardworking retail staff in harm’s way, and enforcement of face coverings must remain the duty of the authorities with all of us having an individual responsibility to put on a face covering before entering a shop.”