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Covid

All that argument about 'essential' food items and police examining trolleys

56 replies

Haffiana · 10/04/2020 15:12

Finally a definitive statement from Downing Street for all those Hunsnetters frothing that people 'aren't allowed' to buy cake or cucumbers or whatever is wedging their knickers:

Downing Street said shops that are allowed to remain open during the lockdown are free to sell whatever items they have in stock.

Asked about the idea of police patrolling particular supermarket aisles to see what people are buying, the prime minister’s spokesman said:

"We set out a list of shops which could remain open and if the shops are on that list then they are free to sell whatever they have in stock. Obviously provided it’s legal to do so."

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52245937

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Inappropriatefemale · 10/04/2020 15:21

Exactly, I couldn’t believe that folks were getting into trouble for buying non essential items whilst they were in the shops anyway buying essential stuff, made no fucking sense to me at all.

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PleasantVille · 10/04/2020 15:23

Thank goodness this has finally been confirmed, it should be posted on all the ridiculous shopping threads on here.

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Inappropriatefemale · 10/04/2020 15:28

Indeed @Pleasantville, I will whip the info out from this link when I next get dirty looks coz I dared to buy my weekly mags.Smile

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TomHardysCBBC · 10/04/2020 15:30

Hooray!

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mateysmum · 10/04/2020 15:36

Some police have lost their common sense.The idea of one's shopping trolley being frisked at the exit from Tesco would be funny if it wasn't such ridiculous overreach. Can you imagine the scenario:
"'allo,'allo,'allo what do we have here then madam? A piece of fillet steak and a chocolate swiss roll? Definitely not essentials in my house. and what's this - a lipstick. Tut Tut. That'll be a nice little fine for you."
The home secretary has rightly slapped the police's wrists.

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LastTrainEast · 10/04/2020 15:45

I want to know how the police got it so wrong. Was the chief constable high or is he senile?

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Snowflakes1122 · 10/04/2020 16:01

Thank goodness. Wine and chocolates are essential for some Grin

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Foldinglaundryisnotforme · 10/04/2020 16:06

Does this mean the likes of B&M will now lift their ban on buying paint etc?

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HettySunshine · 10/04/2020 16:17

'The home secretary has rightly slapped the police's wrists.'

Does the Home Secretary still exist?

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SussEggsRoyale · 10/04/2020 16:20

Thank eff for that. I have spent the last few days thinking the world had gone mad.

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ScarfLadysBag · 10/04/2020 16:22

It was totally bonkers! I've just been doing our normal shop online, complete with our usual treat items, including wine, chocolate, crisps, etc. I bought some Easter eggs too as they were on special offer.

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PicsInRed · 10/04/2020 16:36

Haffiana

The issue was never what was legally permitted, the problem was the police incorrectly interpreting the law and acting outside of their legal powers.

People rightfully stood up and said "NO", proving that our "by consent" approach to policing works - that check on over exercise of their power worked and the problem was rapidly solved.

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PinkSparklyPussyCat · 10/04/2020 16:40

I want to know how the police got it so wrong. Was the chief constable high or is he senile?

I was shocked when I saw which CC it was. I follow him on Twitter and he's usually extremely reasonable and fair minded.

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EmAndes · 10/04/2020 16:40

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Haffiana · 10/04/2020 18:18

The issue was never what was legally permitted, the problem was the police incorrectly interpreting the law and acting outside of their legal powers.

People rightfully stood up and said "NO", proving that our "by consent" approach to policing works - that check on over exercise of their power worked and the problem was rapidly solved.

Absolutely spot on, @PicsInRed. Although I am not sure about the 'rapidly' part...!

I really do think that some Chief Constables will be eased out of their position once all of this is over, and some will be openly reprimanded and sacked. It is absolutely outrageous that some forces so badly overstepped their remit, not just because it was simply (and obviously) legally wrong, but because of the utter waste of police man-hours at a time when the police are complaining about being undermanned and underfunded.

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ProfessorSlocombe · 10/04/2020 18:22

Some police have lost their common sense

You can't lose what you never had.

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ProfessorSlocombe · 10/04/2020 18:24

I want to know how the police got it so wrong.

Pisspoor training. In the normal course of events you'd never notice. But these aren't normal events, and a lot of flaws all over our country are being exposed. Let's hope things return to normal before we're forced to fix them and undo years of careful budget squeezing.

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thecatschampagne · 10/04/2020 18:25

@HettySunshine last time I checked Priti Patel still unfortunately exists...

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DeathByBoredom · 10/04/2020 18:28

Going to be a lot of disappointed proto fascists on mumsnet threads tonight

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SummerHouse · 10/04/2020 18:29

This is not the police but one man who made a ludicrous assertion and nobody thought to say "don't be a twat....Sir."

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ProfessorSlocombe · 10/04/2020 18:30

This is not the police but one man who made a ludicrous assertion and nobody thought to say "don't be a twat....Sir."

That really, really, really is not the UK way.

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Sennetti · 10/04/2020 18:32

it says what they have 'in stock'....so no deliveries to re stock?

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Pinkblueberry · 10/04/2020 18:34

I don’t think you can blame it on ‘pisspoor training’ though - as a pp it’s a huge lack of common sense and/or imaginary power getting to their heads. Bunch of twats, basically. Surely no one needs training to know that what they were doing was out of order - or if they did then they don’t belong in the police force. I’m glad they’ve been put right and I’m glad I don’t live around there. The police where I live have been great from what I know - the ones in question here are an embarrassment to their profession.

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Pulpfiction1 · 10/04/2020 18:35

Personally I think the police are board. They've no events to police, no nightclubs or pubs to attend, no burglers, not many cars on the roads so not as many rta, less shop lifting or people causing mischief in town centres. The main crime going on is domestic violence and we all know they don't give a shit about that. So now they're policing shopping, caz they have jack all else to do.

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Parkermumma07 · 10/04/2020 18:41

Speaking as a police officer we were given very little / no guidance on the new laws and the training! Well there was none to eb honest. I agree some of the things I have seen in the press that officers have given warnings for has been ridiculous. But please don't call us all and say we have no common sense!
I'm a mum as well as a police officer and I have to go out everyday and do my job as if nothing was any different Ive been coughed on and spat at, it's bloody hard I'm not making excuses for the officers who have clearly got it wrong but we are people to and this situation is hard on us as well. Why is it OK to slag a whole profession off because some individuals certainly got it wrong.

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