Lighter side of lockdown
Officers disperse groups of sledgers and tell people to stay at home amid social-distancing fears
A blanketing of snow across the country brought a much-needed lift from the monotony of lockdown yesterday, with outdoor spaces, including Clissold Park in north London, above, filled with people enjoying themselves. But the fun was not shared by everyone – several police forces warned against snowball fights and some dispersed sledgers.
‘With the snow coming down the way it is, please drive carefully. If you’re going to have a snowball fight, please stick to your bubbles. Also, do not eat yellow snow’
FOR a few hours, the snow fell, bringing the kind of pure, unbridled joy rarely seen these days and a brief respite from the gloom of lockdown.
But the gleeful shrieks, the sledging and the snowmen were interjected by police warnings yesterday that people should go home and must not be “tempted” by snowball fights.
A group of around 200 sledgers was dispersed in Swindon amid fears about social distancing. A Wiltshire Police spokesman warned that fixed penalty notices would be issued to those who failed to abide by regulations.
Several forces sent tweets urging people to stay indoors and uniformed officers were pictured patrolling snowy hills where children played.
But while many social media users branded them killjoys, others felt moved enough to contact local forces about groups mingling outside. Surrey Police said: “We are currently receiving lots of calls and reports relating to snowballs being thrown and people outside sledging. Enjoy the snow today but please don’t involve other people, particularly more vulnerable residents.”
Insp Louis Mccoy from Wiltshire Police tweeted: “I don’t want to be dealing with sledgers and snowball fights. There’s still a lockdown on. Think about it, don’t be tempted.”
Among the many forces urging people to enjoy the snow in their back gardens rather than venturing further afield was Hampton North in Richmond, which prompted one Twitter follower to point out that people were allowed to go to the park for exercise.
Merton police in south-west London tried to inject a little humour into proceedings, tweeting: “Sorry to be ‘that grumpy relative’ but with the snow coming down the way it is, please drive carefully. And if you’re going to have a snowball fight, please stick to your bubbles. Also do not eat yellow snow.” Conversely, Greenwich Park police were praised for allowing families to have socially distanced fun. The London force said: “Was great to see during a very difficult time for everyone the park looked beautiful as always too.”
By mid-morning yesterday, the snow was falling thick and fast across much of the Midlands and Wales, with drivers warned to take care on icy roads.
Four vaccination centres were closed in Wales because of safety concerns. More than 2,000 people were due at the centre for jabs in the Welsh valleys. NHS chiefs said the appointments, at centres in Bridgend, Rhondda, Abercynon and Merthyr Tydfil, would be rescheduled.
A vaccination centre in Lichfield, Staffs, also had to close, according to Michael Fabricant, the local MP.
Gloucestershire Police described the M5 as “a bit like a scene from Star Wars” as it warned people not to travel to Cleeve Hill outside Cheltenham, where motorists had been stranded.
The Met Office put out a yellow weather warning, saying that everywhere south of the Pennines faced potentially icy conditions today. The Midlands saw the worst of the snowfall, with 9cm recorded in Coventry by mid afternoon and some parts of England expected to see up to 15cm by nightfall.
Simon Partridge, a meteorologist, said it would be a cold night, with temperatures potentially dipping to -10C in areas of central and southern England.
A gritter lorry overturned on Dartmoor, Devon, another lorry jack-knifed on the A148 near King’s Lynn and two people had to be cut from their vehicle in Kent after colliding with a tree. Highways England said the snow had caused collisions on the M3, M27 and M25.
Drier, brighter conditions were forecast for today, although maximum temperatures will be just above freezing in the Midlands and 5C or 6C for most other areas. Rain will move in from the west tomorrow, bringing milder conditions.