Belief in sticking to the rules

Most people believe that they are sticking to lockdown rules while others, particularly strangers, are more likely to be flouting them, according to a study.

Researchers at the Institute of Criminal Justice Studies at the University of Portsmouth, revealed the gulf in perceptions of how the Covid-19 restrictions are being obeyed.

When asked to rate how well they had complied with the first lockdown on a five-point scale, the average was 4.49.

This compared to only 2.40 when asked to indicate how well they felt the general population had complied with lockdown regulations.

The study, which was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, found the restriction that was most obeyed was to not attend social gatherings.