LAST MINUTE ORDERS Police given no warning over pubs reopening
POLICE stretched to breaking point after a month of unrest were given no warning that pubs would be reopening next Saturday, a union claims.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been branded “reckless” for announcing July 4 as “Independence Day” in the latest easing of lockdown measures.
And a Police Federation source said it came out of the blue.
He said: “It seems ridiculous the Government hasn’t engaged with the very officers who will have to police pubs at a time when we are already facing pressure from Black Lives Matter protests and mini-riots.”
Police Federation chair John Apter has already described easing lockdown as a “countdown to party time” and begged people to behave amid fears that binge-drinking will spark violence.
Manchester mayor
Andy Burnham, who is also the city’s Police Crime Commissioner, slammed the July 4 reopening as a PR stunt.
He said: “It’s reckless and disrespectful to the police and our emergency services. I was not consulted on the decision and I’d be surprised if any other commissioners were either.
Stunt
“Billing Saturday as some sort of Independence Day is the worst kind of spin. There is no room for PR stunts in a pandemic.
“Most countries chose to open their pubs and bars on a week night – and there is a reason for that.” Unison, which represents ambulance staff across the UK, also expressed alarm.
Its assistant general secretary, Christina Mcanea, said: “People must behave responsibly to protect the NHS.”
Police leave has been cancelled for next weekend and around six per cent of officers are believed to be either sick of self-isolating. This latest blow to policing follows a triple-whammy of BLM protests, mini-riots in London and a social distancing crisis on overcrowded beaches.
This week, 20 officers were hurt after breaking up an illegal street party in Brixton, South West London.
And in Merseyside, police were attacked while dispersing Liverpool fans celebrat- ing their team’s Premier League title win.
A former World Health Organisation boss said the focus should instead be on reopening schools and warned pubs could cause localised Covid surges.
Anthony Costello, EXWHO director of maternal, child and adolescent health, said: “It’s a scandal pubs are opening over schools. Children are the lowest risk group. There’s no reason, in current weather, classes can’t be outside.” The paediatrician said evidence showed people are 19 times more likely to get Covid-19 indoors, and added: “My worry is a lot of people are going to be indoors. They will not be wearing masks and alcohol lowers inhibitions, so many will not abide by social distancing. This makes the risk higher than if you are on a beach.”
Laura Cairns, who lost her care worker mum Sue to Covid-19 in April, also thinks it’s “too soon” to get back to normal. The 29-year-old, of Margate, Kent, said: “Bars, beaches… is it really worth it if people are still dying?
“Boris Johnson’s language has made it like a big countdown to party. People will see this as a reason to get wasted.
“We can barely police things at the moment. How are we going to police future restrictions if everything reopens and it ends up in a second spike?”