...But fines are being imposed ‘only as last measure’

ONE of Leicestershire’s most senior officers has set out the force’s approach to policing the lockdown following criticism police in a neighbouring county were overzealous.

Derbyshire police came under fire after fining two women from Ashby £200 after they drove five miles to go on a socially-distanced walk.

The force has subsequently said it will review how its officers issue Covid-19 penalties and has cancelled their fixed penalties.

Home Secretary Priti Patel, however, defended strong enforcement of the regulations in light of government fears about poor compliance and rising infection rates.

Leicestershire Assistant Chief Constable Kerry Smith said her officers will enforce with fines, but as a last measure.

She said: “We want to encourage people to stay home as much as possible and to understand the reasons they are allowed to leave home.

“We have to encourage people not to look for loopholes. Everyone has a personal responsibility to understand what the rules are now and what they shouldn’t do. We are continuing to follow the four Es, as we have all the way throughout this pandemic.

“They are engaging, explaining and encouraging people as much as possible and, where necessary, enforcing, issuing fixed penalties when people do not stick to the rules.

“We have seen a really large increase in the number of calls and incidents reported to us and our officers are going out there mixing with the communities and trying to explain as much as possible what we can do to keep our communities safe.”

She urged people to check the government website and really understand what the regulations mean for them and to be really clear what they can and cannot do.

As of the end of last week, the force’s officers had issued 939 Covid-19 breach fixed penalty fines since the pandemic’s start, with 25 of them at the maximum level of £10,000.

ACC Smith urged people not to put themselves in a position where they might be fined by obeying the rules.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has also backed the police in enforcing the rules. He told Sky News: “Absolutely I’m going to back the police. Because the challenge here is that every flex can be fatal.

“These rules are not there as boundaries to be pushed, they’re the limit of what people should be doing.”

Asked if people should expect to be fined for driving for a walk in relation to the Derbyshire incident, he said: “I don’t know the specific circumstances and I support the police in doing their very difficult job.

“They are right to take very seriously the rules we’ve brought in.”