Spoken to by the police

[Foldinthecheese]

This morning my husband and I took our three children on a long walk/scoot to a local park that is probably two miles away. We had seen the recent police guidance that said stopping for a snack during a long period of exercise is allowed, so we packed some crisps, fruit and our water bottles, intending to have them in the park before heading back home. We have twin DSes, four, and a one year old DD.

While sitting in the park (in a green space, far from any paths, with no one nearby) two police officers approached and said we needed to move on because what we were doing was against guidelines and someone had called to report us. It wasn’t a problem to leave, but I was a little annoyed by the situation. I mentioned the guidelines regarding a snack during long exercise and they seemed unaware of this, and asked to see it on my phone. They then said that it was an issue of public perception, which I understand, but I’m not sure why that would impact the legality of our actions. One officer suggested that we should have gone to a park closer to our house, but the space isn’t really comparable and it’s more of a play park: lots of equipment that is currently covered in caution tape.

I don’t know really why I’m writing this, except I feel frustrated. We’ve followed all the guidelines for the past month and it’s annoying that the police seem unaware of the guidance that has been made publicly available that says what we did was acceptable. It was also just really nice to go slightly further than the one mile radius around our house and enjoy seeing the flowers in the park, and it feels like it put a dampener on the morning.

I don’t see what was wrong with the first set of rules to be honest

I don’t know why the police college had to release their list of ‘reasonable’ things

Would have been a lot easier 😀

@SociallyDistant
Really?
I’m not concerned but thank you.

It sounds to me like this is was a non-essential pit stop to enjoy the lovely weather and allow her children a break from the house .
Whilst many will agree I don’t.

I think if you have a garden stick to it , let those who don’t have the space .

dalmatianmad Sky News didn't make the rules up, they are from this police website www.college.police.uk/What-we-do/COVID-19/Documents/What-constitutes-a-reasonable-excuse.pdf

@anthoerthink

I didn't say they were one of the flouters. Please reread what I said.

Surely a snack while exercising is a protein bar or small portion of fruit eaten while stationary and then carrying on, kinda sounds like you had a picnic. Which is up to you, at this point everyone knows the risks.

I'm not sure if the Police are being more zealous in England as this sounds like total overkill. I'm in Glasgow and took both my sons and dog to a park about a 10 min drive away today. We walked around for a bit and sat on the grass for a wee picnic. The park was quite busy with couples, people on their own and family groups. There was a couple of Policemen we noticed on the way in but we didn't see them approaching anyone including some sunbathers - shock horror! I think whoever reported you needs to get a life. The media have a lot to answer for in hyping up the hysteria.

I don't think that you did anything wrong. The police were being overly zealous and should make sure that they know the rules.
@sauvignonblancplz
@JudgeRindersMinder
To you both I believe the Stasi are recruiting right now.
Sign up at I'm an officious busybody.com

@WorraLiberty We didn’t go to that park because it’s nicer, we went because it’s further away. We wanted to get the boys some proper exercise, rather then the daily circuit we’ve been doing. I understand the concern about many groups having picnics. We stopped briefly for a snack and to let the boys rest their legs, and then we were off again.

@dalmatianmad is he sure it's fake news? He might want to tell the NPCC to amend their guidance. Or it proves the point that police aren't being kept up to date with documents and advice that has been released to the public. Either way, moving along a young family having something quick to eat who are sat in clear view so people won't bump into them or have to get close to get past is pathetic, some police forces seem to be loving the lockdown as an excuse for a bit of flexing. Where are all of these police normally though?

I did something similar at the weekend but we were on a Heath. The children thought it was brilliant hiding!!! Fine something more discrete next time like a heath or woods etc

It's about common sense as well. I went to my local very large park as part of my walk on Sunday. I was a little later. There were several pinch points where I had to hang back etc to maintain 2m. None of the pinch points were on the grass. There were a tiny number of people sitting or exercising on the grass. A few of us crossing the grass for the sake of distancing but most people keeping moving on the paths. It was on the paths where I had much more chance of breathing in some infected exhalation. Keeping distance from people on the lawns was easy.

It's about perception though isn't it? The thin end of the wedge. If people see other people sitting and snacking then things will get slack and people will start spreading.

My parents wanted to have DS stay with them a couple of days to help me out. I would have loved it but I said no even though he's been nowhere. If you start getting slack with the rules it will descend into ,well, more deaths.

So I can understand their motives. I'm sure they meant no harm

@WorraLiberty We didn’t go to that park because it’s nicer, we went because it’s further away.

Yes I think this is the issue in a lot of areas.

Police would prefer if people kept to their local parks. If people feel it isn't big enough to exercise in, surely they'd just do more circuits?

I'm not sure what the actual rules are, but that's what our local police are asking us all to do - go to our nearest parks.

@MissHoskins I hope that made you feel clever🙄

That people reported you is the problem! You only have to read some threads here, that people are really worried about what others are doing and it has brought the worst out in some people. You can only imagine how they would have behaved in other significant historical periods. At least you were only caught eating a packet of crisps in and English park.

Other than a tiny play area which is fenced off and padlocked, right now, and another that is literally just a football pitch, the closest park to my house is a mile away.

I'm glad our police are being pretty reasonable. Apart from the one who took issue with a guy going out to buy a cauliflower fit his Sunday lunch.

And yet this is okay

www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/yhn-pregnant-coronavirus-lockdown-engineer-18108795

Mum-to-be "threatened and lied to" as she is forced to break lockdown and let engineer into her flat
Leonie Shiamtanis has slammed Your Homes Newcastle for forcing her to allow a gas engineer into her flat while she is self-isolating during the coronavirus pandemic

A mum-to-be claims she was threatened and lied to by “shameful” Newcastle housing bosses, who have been accused of putting council home tenants at risk during the coronavirus crisis.

Leonie Shiamtanis, who is 29 weeks pregnant, is self-isolating to protect herself and her unborn child during the pandemic, but was shocked when Your Homes Newcastle threatened her with legal action if she did not let a gas inspector into her Kenton flat for a routine safety check despite lockdown restrictions.
Then after being assured that the engineer would be wearing protective equipment to avoid spreading Covid-19, they instead arrived in a t-shirt and joggers and without the promised gloves, mask, and disinfectant

The 29-year-old teacher, who is at even greater risk from coronavirus as she suffers with asthma, has now warned that vulnerable YHN tenants and the organisation’s engineers are being put at risk through “lack of protection and lying

She said: “Why be put into lockdown and not allowed to see my family that live in a different home, but have to be forced to have a stranger in my home unprotected that has been in 10 different houses through the day? I tried to follow government guidelines but I was threatened and lied to and my family was put at risk.”

Having initially told YHN that she could not let any engineer in because she was self-isolating, Ms Shiamantis was sent a letter warning that they would obtain a warrant and enter her home “by force” and with police in attendance if necessary.

She said the warning was “very distressing” at a time when she is coping with the pressures of the Covid-19 crisis while being pregnant with her first child.

But after she and her boyfriend, Aaron Whitfield, agreed to the gas safety check having been promised that the engineer would be kitted out with PPE, the couple were furious when he arrived with only some hand sanitiser in his van and no other protective gear

Ms Shiamtanis, of Ambridge Way, immediately rang YHN to complain and claims she was then told that 50 tenants a day were calling with similar concerns and that call centre staff were “saying whatever they need to just to get people off the phone”.

After feeling “backed into a corner, threatened and lied to”, she has now urged YHN to make urgent changes to avoid other vulnerable or elderly people being put at risk – as well as the engineers who are visiting multiple homes across the city every day.

She added: “I feel sorry for the engineers just as much as I feel sorry for us. They are having to go to loads of different places and it is not fair.

“It is really, really hard. My partner has an older daughter, but this is my first child and we can’t share what is supposed to be an amazing time with our family.

“We live on the top floor of a three-storey building, so we can’t go outside or into a garden.

“My mum can’t come and visit us, but we have had to let this person in. It seems unfair.”

YHN has pledged to ensure call centre staff give out “correct information” about PPE and to amend the letters they sent out threatening legal action.

A spokesperson for Your Homes Newcastle said: “We would like to apologise to Ms Shiamtanis for any distress she has experienced and understand that this is a worrying time for her and many of our residents.

“The wellbeing and safety of our customers and staff is of our utmost concern and we would like to reassure all our customers that our trade staff are instructed to adhere to all social distancing guidance set out by the Government when undertaking work in people’s homes

This includes maintaining a two-metre distance from any occupants at all times, washing hands before and after visiting homes and regularly using hand sanitser.

“As per Government guidance, full PPE is not required to carry out work in people’s homes and in light of Ms Shiamtanis’ complaint we have reiterated this message to our contact centre staff to ensure customers are given the correct information should they contact us for advice.

“We have also taken action to review and amend the letter Ms Shiamtanis received threatening legal action. While we remain legally obligated to carry out gas safety checks and pursuing court action is part of this process, we appreciate that the standard letter does not reflect the current situation and the additional worries some residents may be experiencing

For, not fit

We have been doing this. Quite a remote area. A police car swung by and drove off. No issue. I would be annoyed too although to be fair the guidance seems to change a lot

We did something similar at the weekend, we go out for long walks every weekend and DD has her lunch while we're out, so we stop and let her eat. She's just a toddler though, and usually sits in her buggy to eat, and DH and I often stand up to make it look as though we're not stopping. If it's quiet then we'll sit down on a bench and have a snack ourselves. But we wouldn't do it anywhere that's very busy or visible, or in a park that has benches taped up, it's a sign that it's an area that's being particularly scrutinised. We've not had any trouble with doing that.

@WorraLiberty I get this. Unfortunately, our local park doesn’t have paths or anywhere to do circuits. It’s really just a play park on a main road. There’s a new estate behind that park and they’ve built some walking paths, but they aren’t finished (as in, they just stop before they get anywhere) and are surrounded by mud so very difficult to social distance on. We’ve been taking the boys to do scooter races in a local empty car park, so I guess we’ll just carry on doing that.

@RomeoLikedCapuletGirls The police said it was about perception, and I understand that, but the guidelines say that what we did is fine. Surely those guidelines should be changed if the concern is that people following them give off the wrong impression?

Whilst I can see that it seems absolutely fine to sit a while in the park with small children, I'd find it very hard to believe that small children would actually just sit. Right outside my house is a woods with a lovely walking and cycling trail going through it. I can go for a walk for an hour and usually don't see a soul. Now it's packed! The path is probably a couple of metres wide in most places. Families are walking in the trail, parents, pushchair, dog and a couple more children and they take up the whole bloody path! They stop all the time for a wee, snack, to look at the flowers, to winge about being tired, to clean up dog poo. All absolutely ok, but it's like stop start the whole way!
I've stopped going there and just walk round the streets instead.

OP, do what you want. But don't moan when lockdown is extended yet again. And don't clap for the NHS on Thursday when they are imploring us to stay home as much as possible. FWIW, I think a four mile walk with four year olds is a big ask at the moment. Of course they'll need a sit down. My kids would have needed a nap half way!!!

We have read and memorised the guidelines, put them on our phones in case we get stopped and can explain and prove we are following the guidelines.

If you start getting slack with the rules it will descend into ,well, more deaths but they weren't getting slack with the rules, they were following the rules. Are people really so incapable of critical thinking?

@JudgeRindersMinder
I don't post anything to feel clever, sometimes pompous officious people need to have the piss taken out of them. I thought that yours and Sauvignon's comments were so over the top, they were borderline ridiculous. So was my comment about the Stasi