Driving 3 miles to beach and fined £200

[nancybotwinbloom]

A friend of a friend drove three miles to her nearest beach and took her newborn for a walk in the pram.

She was surrounded by police and fined £200.

This was today.

I think it must of been scary to be surrounded by police with the pram and the newborn. Surely only one of them needed to speak to her. Not mob handed. Or are they all unreasonable?

Is it unreasonable to drive three miles for a walk? I'm at a point now I can't work out what's local and what's not. I don't think she was in the wrong in all honesty.

Or is it that she drove there that it's not local enough.

I walk nearly three miles to the park with the dog and walk through the park and walk back most days and I don't think I am unreasonable?

What is local classed as these days?

[Elai1978]

I am elderly, live alone and my support bubble (my daughter) lives 11 miles away. Is this too far under the current regs either for me to visit her or vice versa? I’ve looked on line and can’t find a definitive answer.

In England there is no issue with that whatsoever.

[CriticalWoman]

The OP said the incident was in England. In England you can drive to exercise. In England it is not against the law to drive 3 miles to exercise. Therefore the police have no power to fine someone who is driving to exercise.

[mymadpuppy]

Always thought the police were short on manpower.

[ComDummings]

@CriticalWoman

The OP said the incident was in England. In England you can drive to exercise. In England it is not against the law to drive 3 miles to exercise. Therefore the police have no power to fine someone who is driving to exercise.

This ^ fight the fine, it’ll get thrown out

[Tumblebugsjump]

Guidance is stay in the village, town or area of city where you live, make essential journeys only, for food or medical treatment. Pretty clear.

[Goodbye2020Hello2021]

My best friend said six police officers surrounded her.
They surrounded her did they? Were they armed too?
Tabloid front page tomorrow...?
Maybe not.

[blackheartsgirl]

Yes I know critical.

The rules are different in England.

I was just pointing out that in Wales its different.

[Pinkcanoftan]

*bigbird1969"

I suspect it was for the mothers sanity rather than the baby's

[nancybotwinbloom]

@Nicknacky

I'm only posting what I was told today. I don't know the ins and outs of it. I don't know how her work mate reacted. What was said etc. Just the basics what she told me. What I've said on here.

I didn't ask to be honest I just texted back along the lines of "your joking".

The beach was Formby.

I believed what she said as my friend is a reliable source to me and she's told me something that is reliable to her. Maybe her friend did exaggerate. Maybe I shouldn't of posted, I felt like a chat about it on here. That's all.

[Scarby9]

I have posted before about the police round here being very in evidence in the local woods.

When it snowed they were turning away everyone not from the village at the edge of the woods. We sort of understood.

In the last week they have leafleted cars - including cars of people from the village at the edge of the woods - telling people to stay home and that their journey is not essential. One elderly couple (early 80s) were given whatt they described as a 'written warning' and told in person that they must walk from home and not drive anywhere. They had come to the woods because the town pavements were icy and the seafront too scary, but were left really shaken and distressed.

The woods are big, with loads of trails and so empty - easy, flat, traffic-free, socially distanced walking. The seafront is also flat and easy walking but very busy, unsurprisingly. Also apparently police-free.

It is 5 miles maximum to the woods from the centre of town, and people in the town think of them as in their back yard. None of us can understand why socially distanced local individuals, couples and families are not allowed to walk or cycle there, or why this rural area is being so heavily locked down in comparison with the town.

It may not be, but the impression given is that the police are going for the easy targets.

[Elai1978]

Guidance is stay in the village, town or area of city where you live, make essential journeys only, for food or medical treatment. Pretty clear.

I’ll make this very clear, GUIDANCE IS NOT LAW. The police cannot enforce guidance.

[Sparklingbrook]

Pushing a pram on the beach can be really tricky.

[Nicknacky]

@nancybotwinbloom To be fair, you have posted it as gospel. All I’m saying is that unless you see it with your own eyes then always, always have doubt about these stories.

[CriticalWoman]

"Guidance is stay in the village, town or area of city where you live, make essential journeys only, for food or medical treatment. Pretty clear."

The guidance is irrelevant when it comes to police actions, they can only enforce the law, not the guidance.

[Grenlei]

Essential journeys isn't limited to food/ medical treatment, it includes travel to work (if you can't work from home).

Visiting your support bubble is also classed as an essential journey.

[NeverDropYourMoonCup]

@nancybotwinbloom

If it comes up in the echo I will screen shot it.

For those who say it didn't happen, like I say, I wasn't there, my best mate told me today this happened to the lady she works with. I can only say what she told me her work mate told her.

I occasionally go the same beach early in the morning with the dog when it's dead. It was more of a warning to me.

I thought I'd post on here to let people know that's all.

I'm less concerned about the story going from a friend of a friend to a colleague of a colleague of a friend - that's a whole extra degree of separation from the truth - than you going walking on the beach with a dead dog.

[bloodywhitecat]

@Tumblebugsjump

Guidance is stay in the village, town or area of city where you live, make essential journeys only, for food or medical treatment. Pretty clear.

I live in one of four houses on a NSL B road, two lorries cannot pass each other without one having to stop to allow the other to pass. There are blind bends and no pavements. If I stayed 'local' to walk the dog and the baby we'd be much more likely to need the emergency services that we would by getting in the car and driving three miles up the road to where I can park and walk safely.

[MorningNinja]

Six police officers? I find that very hard to believe so I'm taking this with a pinch of salt.

[Covidcorvid]

@SadderThanEeyore

You're not supposed to drive anywhere for exercise. It's supposed to start and finish at home.

Not true. Even govt ministers have said you can drive somewhere to exercise.

[Goodbye2020Hello2021]

[quote Nicknacky]@nancybotwinbloom To be fair, you have posted it as gospel. All I’m saying is that unless you see it with your own eyes then always, always have doubt about these stories.[/quote]
This.

[nancybotwinbloom]

@Nicknacky I don't think I have posted it as gospel. I've explained at the beginning of my post what happened.

I haven't said it has happened to me. Or that I was there or witnessed it.

Happy to be corrected though if I've misled anyone accidentally. Apologies in advance it wasn't my intention.

[bloodywhitecat]

And, shock, horror I even cross into the neighbouring county.

[PaddingtonsSister]

This is another urban myth story i guess A pram on the beach sounds difficult too

[Goodbye2020Hello2021]

I'm less concerned about the story going from a friend of a friend to a colleague of a colleague of a friend - that's a whole extra degree of separation from the truth - than you going walking on the beach with a dead dog

[DenisetheMenace]

Sorry, don’t believe it.