‘Blatant, reckless and selfish’: Police slam latest lockdown rule-breakers
‘NOT THE TIME TO RELAX’: Police have made another appeal
Humberside Police have again urged people stick to the lockdown rules after revealing another 40 people across the force area were fined at the weekend for “blatantly, recklessly and selfishly” breaching restrictions.
The fines were issued after officers became aware of breaches including indoor gatherings in Hull and Market Weighton, a group of adults walking the streets in the early hours of the morning carrying alcohol in Cottingham, and a street fight between two men in Goole.
In addition, three fines were issued at a company in Beverley and another to a business owner in Market Weighton for failing to adhere to the rules.
It comes just a few weeks after the force issued 44 fines to people in Hull for attending weekend house parties.
Assistant Chief Constable Chris Noble said: “Preventing the spread of the virus must be a top priority for everyone and it’s vital we all do whatever we can to stick to the restrictions in place to protect our loved ones and other residents of our force area.
“I am pleased that the majority of people in East Yorkshire, Hull, North and North East Lincolnshire have supported one another and are continuing to adhere to the restrictions.
“Although the majority of people in the force area have stood up to the challenges and are helping to protect others in a time of need, there are a number of instances where some people have flagrantly breached the Covid-19 regulations.
“Our ‘Engage, Explain and Encourage’ approach has worked well but we will not hesitate to use enforcement where we need to. Our teams are patrolling hotspot areas and are actively engaging with those who are out and about.
“We ask that you help us by sticking to the rules, as our officers continue to put themselves in harm’s way to keep others safe.
“Unfortunately, this weekend has shown that some have blatantly, recklessly and selfishly breached these regulations and enforcement has been necessary. We will not hesitate to move to enforcement in these circumstances.
“This approach allows us to protect our community, to keep people safe and to help protect the NHS as they continue to face this pandemic.
“We are now in a different position from where we were at the beginning of the month, with the Covid-19 vaccination appointments being rolled out across our force area. This gives us much hope that we can return to normal in the near future but in order to achieve this we must continue to stick to the guidelines. This is not a time to relax.
“We must do all we can to protect and help each other and the NHS. To anyone who is unclear, the national lockdown means you must not leave or be outside your home except where you have a ‘reasonable’ excuse.”
Anyone who is still unclear about the lockdown restrictions can view them here.