Two Women fined for walking for Starbucks

[Superketchup]

What rule have they broken? I don’t understand. Two of them met - yes can meet one other person - they’d driven 5 miles - surely that’s ok?! - and they had a Starbucks each which the police said was a picnic?!
Why are they keeping takeaways open if it’s agaisnt the law to get one? I took my kids to the park, the coffee shop was open for takeaway. It was freezing. We got a hot chocolate each. I’m too scared to do so again!

The police aren't covering themselves in glory, are they?

You're telling me

You can cross county boundaries, our nearest big supermarket is in a different county!

This happened about 5 minutes from my house by car. Ashby is in Leicestershire but only just over the border from Derbyshire, I am in Staffordshire and could walk there quite easily.

So its not quite that clear cut as "Dont cross borders" because I leave my house and go to the nearest petrol station, and would be in the Derbyshire. I used to have to travel through S Derbys to get to my job in Leicestershire.

Thanks for posting the link... what an insane story! The world has gone mad.

The police should absolutely not be harassing people for doing perfectly legal things. This is an illegal action by the police. They are not above the law!

I think the guidance of stay local is so unhelpful. I get the majority of my exercise (in normal times) walking on the hills near me. Everywhere I go has my town in the address, but some places are 5-10 miles away. Based on this thread that isn't local, but I would class it as local. Does local depend on the type of area you live in? In a city I guess local would be much smaller than in the countr

@Orf1abc

Ms Allen, who lives in Ashby-de-la-Zouch in Leicestershire, said: 'I genuinely thought someone had been murdered... my car was surrounded... one of them started reading my rights and I was looking at my friend thinking ''This must be a joke''.'

So they were sat in the car. They may not have travelled together, but she's clearly acknowledging they were in the car.

There are legitimate reports of police being overzealous, but the 'air hostess make up artist with anxiety' is an attention seeker.

They travelled separately and parked their cars two spaces apart. They weren’t in the same car and your misogynist comments about their appearance are out of order.

@fluufy

hey were walking with a Starbucks in their hands. Walking is exercise. It's cold in Derbyshire, there's nothing wrong with having a hot drink on a walk, I often take a flask but that doesn't make it a picnic

Also cold in Leics, which is where they drove from. Going to the next county is not your local area.

It is if you live close to the border.

A county border does not define 'local' - it is just an administrative border, not a physical border. if I drive 5 miles to the next county it is no more dangerous than driving 5 miles in my own county.

They broke no laws. A 'reasonable person' wouldn't think what they did was unreasonable. You are allowed to drive to exercise. You are allowed to leave your county. Travelling hundreds of miles is unreasonable. Travelling 5 miles is reasonable. I think this was the police force responsible for the drone incident. You would think they would have something more important to be doing.

Welcome to a police state encouraged by many on here. If you had been told a year and a half ago that you could be treated like a criminal for meeting a friend outside for a coffee you would never have believed it. Welcome to 2021 where police will turn up quicker for minor ‘restrictions violations’ than if your house has been broken into.

I wonder if the police will make a statement to clarify what the charge was. Its either a ridiculous (and illegal) fine, or there's more to it.

Derbyshire police did similar during the first lockdown - called out people for walking their dog "in the middle of nowhere" by taking their photo by drone and plastering it all over social media.

I very much doubt the fine will stand up in court, tbh. You're allowed to drive for exercise. You're allowed to meet up with one other person outside, and you're allowed to get takeaway coffee.

They didn't do anything wrong.

They should’ve stayed locally to their area and no it’s not in the spirit of lockdown

@user1471523870

I think you are only allowed out for exercising, essentials, work or medical care. Leisure trips to coffee shops are not included.

So why are they open?

what a load of old shite "not in the spirit of lockdown" are they having a laugh? i would not be paying that fine if i was them they havent broken any rules. 5 miles is still "local" our town is much bigger than five miles and it's still the same town, which is what i would call local.

I guess the police have solved every single crime in the country if they are busying themselves with this load of shite.

If it's ok for Dominic Cummings...

Ashby is literally yards over the boder from S Derbys where they were, Woodville where the other woman came from is yards the other way! Its not like she drove from the other side of Leics to N Derbys where it boders Yorkshire!

@Figgygal

They should’ve stayed locally to their area and no it’s not in the spirit of lockdown

Whether it's in the "spirit" or not is irrelevant.

They didn't break the law.

You would have thought police would want to keep people on side. They should have not accepted the fine. The police would then have had to get the CPS to take it to court.

I think what will have happened here is that the police are enforcing rules that haven't yet been announced.
We've just heard via a family friend that the police will be closing the car parks for all beauty spots over the next few days to discourage people driving to meet up and ending up with crowds all in the same places.

@PyongyangKipperbang

Ashby is literally yards over the boder from S Derbys where they were, Woodville where the other woman came from is yards the other way! Its not like she drove from the other side of Leics to N Derbys where it boders Yorkshire!

Stop being sensible

@fluufy

hey were walking with a Starbucks in their hands. Walking is exercise. It's cold in Derbyshire, there's nothing wrong with having a hot drink on a walk, I often take a flask but that doesn't make it a picnic

Also cold in Leics, which is where they drove from. Going to the next county is not your local area.

The legislation (which can be found here: www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/1374/schedule/3A/paragraph/2 ) does not impose any limits on how far people are allowed to travel for exercise. Therefore the police have no power to fine people for breaking the law, however far they travel.

@Figgygal

They should’ve stayed locally to their area and no it’s not in the spirit of lockdown

They did.

I live there, you can take my word for it.

The article states, their local Tory MP Andrew Bridgen has tweeted he considers the reservoir to be their local area. I cannot imagine the fine would hold up in court. The police are answerable to the home office, ie Priti Patel, aren’t they?

This is dreadful, they did nothing wrong.