Police urge people to stay near home
POLICE have renewed pleas for the public not to travel far from home to visit West Lancashire’s beauty spots.
Speaking after visitors from Cheshire, Merseyside and Greater Manchester caused crowding and parking problems at Fairy Glen and Parbold Hill, Chief Inspector Chris Abbott asked for the public to use more common sense before travelling.
Current government guidance says that people should only visit “local” areas for exercise but there is no explicit definition as to what classes as local. As such, Ch Insp Abbott implored the public to “act in the spirit” of those instructions and to keep people safe.
He said: “Recently during the decent weather we have seen this place absolutely rammed full of visitors, many of which have come from outside this community.
“We are asking everybody to use a bit of common sense, act in the spirit of the guidance and stay local.
“Please don’t travel far and wide to come to places like this that we have across Lancashire.
“You are putting yourselves and your community at risk.
“This virus has gone on for long enough now and I think we’ve all had enough of the restrictions and the lockdown.
“But the more people breach that guidance and legislation, the longer this will go on.”
The warning came just days after a man was arrested for assaulting a police officer when he was challenged about travelling to the area, while others received penalty notices for breaching the latest rules.
Ch Insp Abbott added: “You will see an increased presence of police officers around places like across Lancashire.
“If they do engage with you, please be decent with them. They’re only doing their job to protect the community.”