Boris warns: We’ll face a serious spike
As ravers attack police AGAIN after crowds flock to beaches...
BrITAIN faces a ‘serious spike’ in coronavirus infections if people continue to ‘take liberties’, Boris Johnson warned yesterday.
The Prime Minister spoke out after police were once again attacked at illegal street parties and crowds flocked to beaches.
Scotland Yard Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick condemned the targeting of officers following a second night of violence aimed at police dispersing crowds at London gatherings.
And three men were stabbed at Bournemouth beach as the council declared a major incident when thousands of sunseekers flocked to the coast amid the heatwave.
Mr Johnson warned ahead of July 4 – dubbed ‘ Super Saturday’ because pubs and restaurants across the country are due to reopen – that there have been ‘serious spikes’ in the virus in parts of the world that have eased restrictions.
Mr Johnson said: ‘If you look at what’s happening elsewhere in the world where people have been coming out of lockdown, I’m afraid what you’re also seeing is people taking too many liberties with the guidance, mingling too much, not observing social distancing.
‘So in some parts of the world – I won’t name them – you have got spikes, really serious spikes, in the instance of the disease so it is crucial that people understand that on July 4 we get this right, we do this in a balanced way.’
He was speaking during a visit to the Pizza Pilgrims restaurant in East London with Chancellor rishi source not ‘party Sunak. also time’ warned A and Government that suggested it was that those behaving irresponsibly could threaten the reopening of schools in September.
He said: ‘It’s incredibly important that this is not party time, this is time to go very carefully and for everybody to adhere to the measures and go as close to the rules as they can.
‘In terms of the schools, if the very strict way in which things are supposed to reopen and we’re all supposed to behave is adhered to, hopefully that will leave the room that’s required.’
officers from Scotland Yard were attacked as they tried to break up an illegal street party in Notting Hill, West London, on Thursday night – a day after violence at a ‘block party’ in Brixton, South London, left 22 officers injured, with two needing hospital treatment. officers also had to deal with another party at Streatham Common, South London, on Thursday evening. Dame Cressida said as many as 140 officers had been injured in the past three weeks.
Asked about street parties, she said: ‘These events are unlawful. They shouldn’t be happening
and we have a duty to close them down and to disperse them.
‘The local communities hate them, [it is] incredibly antisocial behaviour, very noisy during a pandemic and sometimes (there is) violence.’
She said thousands of officers
would be patrolling the capital this weekend.
Seven officers were also assaulted on Thursday in Stockton, Middlesbrough and Saltburn, Cleveland Police said.
‘This is not party time’