Thames Valley Police urge people to follow lockdown rules in Covid-19 message to public

Thames Valley Police have issued a message from Chief Superintendent Robert France, Gold Commander for the Thames Valley Police’s response to Coronavirus.

Chief Superintendent Robert France said: “As you will all be aware here in the Thames Valley and nationally we have now entered a period of lockdown to help reduce the transmission of Coronavirus.

“Firstly I would like to thank you all for your support throughout the pandemic and your continued support of us and other emergency services by following the government legislation and guidance and staying at home to stop the spread, save the NHS, save lives and protect everyone in our communities.

“We all have a duty to stay at home unless there is a valid reason not to be there. The full details of what you can and can’t do during lockdown are contained on the government pages - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/national-lockdown-stay-at-home“Our officers will continue to engage, explain and encourage people to abide by the restrictions. Where people have genuinely misunderstood the rules, or where there is an element of complexity, a simple reminder of the regulations is often enough for them to comply.

“However, where we encounter people who are wilfully and blatantly ignoring the laws around Coronavirus we will look to enforce.

“We have now all been dealing with the Coronavirus pandemic for some time, as such many people should be familiar with what is required of them, so where we see people are making a choice and deliberately ignoring the rules they should expect to receive a fine.

“Restrictions on social gatherings and certain businesses remain in place. Gatherings which breach the rules and unlicensed events should not be happening.

“We strongly urge anyone thinking of attending or organising one not to do so. Organisers of such events could be given a substantial £10,000 fine and those attending will face enforcement through a fine.

“We have resources in place to respond appropriately and these will be targeted where the risk to the wider public is greatest.

“We will continue to work with our partners, businesses and the public to protect our communities from Coronavirus.”