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UK police guidelines to clarify lockdown powers following criticism

17 replies

AnnieP1 · 30/03/2020 21:39

Just read this in the Guardian. Among other guidelines two stood out for me:

'Driving to a place to exercise may be unwise but not prohibited by emergency powers'.

Guidelines also expected to conclude' the law does not restrict people leaving home to exercise just once a day.'

Yaaay common sense prevails at last.

OP posts:
PurpleDaisies · 30/03/2020 21:41

Fantastic.

1984isnow · 30/03/2020 21:42

I can hear the virtual pitchforks OP

1984isnow · 30/03/2020 21:44

Wrong thread, but I think it could apply hereGrin

Haffiana · 30/03/2020 21:47

"The intervention comes amid growing concern that some forces are going beyond their legal powers to stop the spread of Covid-19, with one issuing a summons to a household for shopping for non-essential items and another telling locals that exercise was “limited to an hour a day”.

On Monday, former supreme court justice Lord Sumption said that excessive measures were in danger of turning Britain into a “police state”, singling out Derbyshire police – which deployed drones and dyed a lagoon black – for “trying to shame people in using their undoubted right to take exercise in the country and wrecking beauty spots in the fells”.

Flymetothetoon · 30/03/2020 21:47

DH got stopped THREE times today by the police. He's self employed heating engineer and is still going out to fix broken boilers and burst pipes - his van is sign written to make it obvious what his job is too.

However to be fair to the police who stopped him the 2nd and 3rd times they could tell straight away when the entered his reg that he was out 'legitimately' but still it's a bit overkill that someone who is going out helping people is still getting stopped.

YangShanPo · 30/03/2020 21:51

Dominic Raab today said the government will support the police in their own interpretation and didn't say there would be any further clarification of government guidelines for the public.

BamboozledandBefuddled · 30/03/2020 21:51

Bloody marvellous!! And won't it annoy some Mumsnetters 😁

CaptainMyCaptain · 30/03/2020 21:53

I live in Derbyshire and think the police were right to do what they did. I enjoy walking in the Peak District but have refrained from going there for the past few weeks. Why should people potentially carry the virus from Chesterfield or Sheffield to small villages so far untouched by it? Not to mention clogging the roads and making unnecessary work for the emergency services.

Laniakea · 30/03/2020 21:54

I came on here to post this! I notice that it is one particular police force which has been singled out. Despite some mners’ dearest hopes we don’t yet live in a police state.

Haffiana · 30/03/2020 21:59

“The behaviour of the Derbyshire police in trying to shame people in using their undoubted right to take exercise in the country and wrecking beauty spots in the fells so people don’t want to go there is frankly disgraceful,” he (Lord Sumption)said.

“This is what a police state is like, it is a state in which a government can issue orders or express preferences with no legal authority and the police will enforce ministers’ wishes.”
He said that the force – which used dye to turn a blue lagoon near Buxton partly black to deter sightseers – had “shamed our policing traditions”.

Sumption said that most of the police forces had acted reasonably but that Derbyshire officers had overstepped their powers: “The police have no power to enforce ministers’ preferences but only legal regulations, which don’t go anything like as far as the government’s guidance.”
Stephen White, police and crime commissioner in Durham, said: “I think policing is confused about what it is being asked to do. Police officers have no power to stop people going to the Lake District. It takes a long time to build up trust and a short time to destroy it.”

BlackeyedSusan · 30/03/2020 22:00

Common sense should prevail. going somewhere inthe car to get away from people should be ok. not far, not long. but then, I am driving five minutes away as both dd and I have very limited walking tolerance.

PicsInRed · 30/03/2020 22:04

The police are there to enforce the law, not to create it. The should stick to the letter. Isn't that what they tell us to do?

Laiste · 30/03/2020 22:17

Our local PCSO has just been shouted down on twitter for spouting bollocks. The first shouter downer was the PCSO for a neighboring village.

He's bloody indifferent to 90% of the issues we have here normally but suddenly gets all full of misplaced enthusiasm when it comes to wanting us all shut in Hmm

Laiste · 30/03/2020 22:20

I would just like clarify that he was having a pop at small groups of family taking a walk round the village. Not driving. Not chatting with neighbors. Not orgainising piss ups in the fields.

I'm bloody cross for the first time in all this.
It takes me a long time to get cross.

IamNotDarling · 30/03/2020 22:38

The legislation is here www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/350/contents/made and movement regulations are contained with paragraph 6.

Restrictions on movement

6.—(1) During the emergency period, no person may leave the place where they are living without reasonable excuse.
(2) For the purposes of paragraph (1), a reasonable excuse includes the need—
(a)to obtain basic necessities, including food and medical supplies for those in the same household (including any pets or animals in the household) or for vulnerable persons and supplies for the essential upkeep, maintenance and functioning of the household, or the household of a vulnerable person, or to obtain money, including from any business listed in Part 3 of Schedule 2;

(b)to take exercise either alone or with other members of their household;

(c)to seek medical assistance, including to access any of the services referred to in paragraph 37 or 38 of Schedule 2;

(d)to provide care or assistance, including relevant personal care within the meaning of paragraph 7(3B) of Schedule 4 to the Safeguarding of Vulnerable Groups Act 2006(1), to a vulnerable person, or to provide emergency assistance;

(e)to donate blood;

(f)to travel for the purposes of work or to provide voluntary or charitable services, where it is not reasonably possible for that person to work, or to provide those services, from the place where they are living;

(g)to attend a funeral of—

(i)a member of the person’s household,

(ii)a close family member, or

(iii)if no-one within sub-paragraphs (i) or (ii) are attending, a friend;

(h)to fulfil a legal obligation, including attending court or satisfying bail conditions, or to participate in legal proceedings;

(i)to access critical public services, including—

(i)childcare or educational facilities (where these are still available to a child in relation to whom that person is the parent, or has parental responsibility for, or care of the child);

(ii)social services;

(iii)services provided by the Department of Work and Pensions;

(iv)services provided to victims (such as victims of crime);

(j)in relation to children who do not live in the same household as their parents, or one of their parents, to continue existing arrangements for access to, and contact between, parents and children, and for the purposes of this paragraph, “parent” includes a person who is not a parent of the child, but who has parental responsibility for, or who has care of, the child;

(k)in the case of a minister of religion or worship leader, to go to their place of worship;

(l)to move house where reasonably necessary;

(m)to avoid injury or illness or to escape a risk of harm.

(3) For the purposes of paragraph (1), the place where a person is living includes the premises where they live together with any garden, yard, passage, stair, garage, outhouse or other appurtenance of such premises.
(4) Paragraph (1) does not apply to any person who is homeless.

Freshairimportanttoo · 30/03/2020 22:43

I've not been out nor the dc for 10 days.. What concerns me is being stopped unnecessarily by plod and him giving me covid by talking to me.

longearedbat · 30/03/2020 22:47

Brilliant news, but it will upset the mumsnet stasi, who will either be on to tell you you're wrong, or will ignore this thread completely. I have been very uncomfortable with the recent heavy handed behaviour by the police.

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