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Original poster

Pensioner gets visit from police over socially distanced cup of tea.

144 replies

MercyBooth · 18/03/2021 17:58

www.itv.com/news/westcountry/2021-03-18/pensioner-given-covid-breach-warning-over-socially-distanced-cup-of-tea

Doesnt it make you glad to be alive. Hmm

OP posts:
islockdownoveryet · 18/03/2021 22:57

Who gives a flying flute if it’s a communal garden or not .
It really worries me those that think the police or nosey neighbour were not in the wrong .
Yes 2 pensioners having a social distancing cup of tea outs yes that’s why the pandemic is spreading . The rebels , they are actually sensible outside distancing zero risk , and it shouldn’t be a crime. and shame on anyone for reporting anything like this and shame on the police too it’s a a disgrace.

RaindropsSplashRainbows · 19/03/2021 00:59

An absolutely pathetic story.

Frownette · 19/03/2021 06:30

That's really terrible if it frightens the pensioner against getting some much needed social support during this time

the80sweregreat · 19/03/2021 06:35

The police only like the low hanging fruit to intimidate. Probably the reason they cover up for their own colleagues so much as that is easy to do instead of going after the real criminals they are probably really scared of.
Going after pensioners is a new low for them.

Lochmorlich · 19/03/2021 06:39

That daughter should raise it with her mp.
She was in her own garden if its communal.
My dm would be so upset.
They really have no understanding of the elderly.
My df visits a friend twice a week and I encourage it.
His mental health is still badly affected.

LongTimeMammaBear · 19/03/2021 06:41

I think there is likely much more to that story. Particularly as the lady in question was in a communal garden with other residents yet only she was reported and visited?

Additionally, wen I read the headline, I thought, aw doesn’t really matter when breaking covid restrictions be it a pensioner or uni students

Theunamedcat · 19/03/2021 06:42

I had to go help someone up off the floor yesterday no way could I socially distance myself ended up calling an ambulance because we just couldn't move her im expecting a call off the police tbh

SakuraEdenSwan1 · 19/03/2021 06:43

Police pick on easy targets just like on here, let's be honest, how many threads have you read posters telling you it's a Covid breach and to report it to the Police?

Zenithbear · 19/03/2021 06:45

Absolutely disgusting. Why don't the police actually solve crimes anymore? A serious incident has happened to people I know in the last couple of months but the police were too busy to even bother to attend.
Everyone I know is meeting the odd person now. People are sick of this.

Nightfeedwatcher · 19/03/2021 07:05

The worry here is will this lady now be sat inside her home on her own, not wanting to go out into her garden in case the police turn up again!?

CuthbertDibbleandGrubb · 19/03/2021 07:12

The point about it not being Derbyshire Police. Gloucestershire Police failed to spot the activities of Fred and Rose West for about 15 years, not exactly the most competent of forces.

Totallydefeated · 19/03/2021 07:24

The worry here is will this lady now be sat inside her home on her own, not wanting to go out into her garden in case the police turn up again!?

Yes, this is likely to have had a really bad impact on her confidence and could lead to MH issues. How is that a proportionate response? Appalling.

Redact · 19/03/2021 07:29

Absolutely disgusting behaviour by the police, to go to the old lady's door late in the evening. The poor woman must have got such a shock. I too have concerns about the police and who gets in. I was pulled over for a spot check and found the attitude of the traffic police to be confrontational and neither were wearing masks and did not socially distance.

kowari · 19/03/2021 07:38

I think it's wrong for police to be knocking on anyone's door at that time of night for a non urgent matter. I'm in my thirties and live with my teen and I would have been too scared to answer at that hour. I would have waited quietly for the person to go away unless I heard 'it's the police'.

Sundances · 19/03/2021 07:38

The point about it not being Derbyshire Police. Gloucestershire Police failed to spot the activities of Fred and Rose West for about 15 years, not exactly the most competent of forces.

Yeah, it was only 26 years ago he went to trial and therefore the abuse and killing of women probably went on long before that so I'm sure all those police are still in the force - might be on zimmer frames but I'm sure they are all they behind the sergeant's desk.

AvonCallingBarksdale · 19/03/2021 07:40

It’s easier for PC Plod to go and play hardball with an 82-yo woman 🤷‍♀️ Doubt they’d have been as keen with a young burly group of blokes. I remember a PC berating me in front of her trainee for parking on a zig zag for what would have been 5 mins had she not kept me there going on about “people like me pissing off law abiding people in the community” and that she would “let me off this time but if it EVER happens again...” Idiot.
Confidence in the police is at an all-time low unsurprisingly.

kowari · 19/03/2021 07:41

I think there is likely much more to that story. Particularly as the lady in question was in a communal garden with other residents yet only she was reported and visited?
It's possible she was lonely and coming out with her cuppa when she saw others were out, but ffs it's her garden and it's outside.

Inthevirtualwaitingroom · 19/03/2021 07:42

how wicked to report them at all

CuriousaboutSamphire · 19/03/2021 07:45

@notrub

Given the address yes, the police would have known what kind of house and what kind of garden. Or a very quick Google would have told them that!

You what??

You think the police have some database of which gardens are communal and which are not?

considered whether 9.45pm was an appropriate time to visit an elderly woman who lives alone

Again - what kind of info do you think the police have access to???

I sometimes think people confuse the UK police with the CIA lol

If you knew the area @notrub it would make perfect sense. I do know the area.
FrancesHaHa · 19/03/2021 08:08

This last year has really shown the police in a poor light, and they really need to start thinking about their PR.

It's all very well saying the police wouldn't know until they got there, they have the check out crimes etc. I would have more sympathy for this if they didn't routinely not respond to other crimes such as robbery because they are too busy, as well as taking hours to go out to domestic abuse reports.

This is the natural result of a target driven culture where they know this type of report can be cleared up quickly as opposed to the complicated, messy crimes such rape

Sundances · 19/03/2021 08:19

This is the natural result of a target driven culture where they know this type of report can be cleared up quickly as opposed to the complicated, messy crimes such rape

Absolutely nothing to do with the 125,926 people who have died from Corona Virus in the UK - I'm sure families of poorly loved ones agree that covid rules don't require enforcing at all.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 19/03/2021 08:22

vIt's all very well saying the police wouldn't know until they got there, they have the check out crimes etc. Yes! Having spoke to the firts lady in her 80s and had an explanation, they woke a 2nd, and went through it all again. They wanted to wake a 3rd but were dissuaded.

They left with a "We won't take action this time, but next time you could be fined" As far as I can tell a couple of lawyers have offered them free advice, that their use of the communal garden is legal, and have offered to help for free if there is any more on the matter!

LucilleTheVampireBat · 19/03/2021 08:23

Absolutely nothing to do with the 125,926 people who have died from Corona Virus in the UK - I'm sure families of poorly loved ones agree that covid rules don't require enforcing at all

How many of those deaths are directly related to elderly people having a cup of tea in their communal garden?

The people who defend this sort of "policing" genuinely disgust me. What are you going to do with yourselves when this is all over?

purplebagladylovesgin · 19/03/2021 08:35

Surely if she is able to use her communal garden to sit in and drink tea, and another neighbour who is also using her communal garden is doing the same then no rules were broken.

I'm not understanding the police involvement. I thought we were allowed to drink a cup of tea in our gardens!

As the report says she was socially distanced. And she was in her garden as was the neighbour in hers.

Are they saying now we can't sit in our garden and chat (across a fence) to a neighbour if they too are sat in their garden? Do we have to both sit in silence drinking our tea?

This is madness. Especially as she is alone and elderly and I fully expect her mental health is suffering in this lockdown.

Delatron · 19/03/2021 08:37

I hope her family make a serious complaint. She was in bed when they came round. Why so late? So intimidating and unnecessary.