Police fine home carer for taking lunch break at beauty spot

[MercyBooth]

The force that covers Bristol

www.itv.com/news/westcountry/2021-03-26/somerset-carer-in-tears-after-being-fined-for-covid-lockdown-rule-breach-at-a-beauty-spot

Law not laser - texting fail

Can someone confirm if getting a COVID fixed term penalty notice would show up on a DBS check, giving you a criminal record? A fine is bad enough but at the very least once it's paid the person can forget about it.

A police officer who did an AMA on here a couple of weeks ago said that it would which if true is absolutely outrageous. I couldn't find anything online to confirm or deny it though. That would ruin job prospects for so many people, particularly in unstable jobs. Absolutely ridiculous when the police are applying laws completely randomly :/

This is crazy. I'm a childminder and often get the little ones some food when we're out and about. I'm so paranoid that they'll stop me but then I realise they're all there too (at subway) buying food on their break. There's always police there so they would be hypocrites if they stopped me buying a sarnie and a cuppa

Fucking ridiculous. Especially as a friend of mine is going up to collect his adult dd from Bristol ( we are in Cornwall) in a couple days so she can stay for a week over Easter. Wonder if he will get stopped . Probably not.

She didn't break any laws. The fine will get overturned if she challenges it.

Why should she have to challenge it? Doesn't she have better things to do than have this hassle. So annoying.

According to the article, she lives in Watchet, has jobs in Minehead & Wiliton. The Over Stowey place is (Google maps) 7 miles from Wiliton, 9 miles from Watchet.

So the "she did wrong" scenario is saying she drove 9 miles for a walk (by herself) or 7 miles for walk by self (with pause for food, eaten by herself).

Driving 7 miles to go for a walk is OFFICIALLY ILLEGAL.

Or so it seems, if you think Police did right.

And now you know why I'm afraid to drive 5 miles to the beach.

Tomorrow I'm planning to cycle 9 miles to try to get my covid jab. Does anyone think that's allowed? I mean, I won't wait to get the jab if the Q is more than 1 hour wait. So then I will have gone 9 MILES purely for exercise. and That Is CLEARLY Not Allowed. Is it? I probably shouldn't risk it, should I. I don't care if I never get the jab anyway.

@lljkk

According to the article, she lives in Watchet, has jobs in Minehead & Wiliton. The Over Stowey place is (Google maps) 7 miles from Wiliton, 9 miles from Watchet.

So the "she did wrong" scenario is saying she drove 9 miles for a walk (by herself) or 7 miles for walk by self (with pause for food, eaten by herself).

Driving 7 miles to go for a walk is OFFICIALLY ILLEGAL.

Or so it seems, if you think Police did right.

And now you know why I'm afraid to drive 5 miles to the beach.

Tomorrow I'm planning to cycle 9 miles to try to get my covid jab. Does anyone think that's allowed? I mean, I won't wait to get the jab if the Q is more than 1 hour wait. So then I will have gone 9 MILES purely for exercise. and That Is CLEARLY Not Allowed. Is it? I probably shouldn't risk it, should I. I don't care if I never get the jab anyway.

Under what legislation is that illegal?

There's no distance in law in England. Staying local is guidance.

And clearly you're allowed to get your covid jab.

There is no law against driving for exercise. Non whatsoever.

PP are confusing government guidance with the law.

If it goes to court it will be overturned.

Of topic but... the beauty spot is called 'dead woman's ditch'!

She wasn't between jobs, she had driven "several miles" to this beauty spot. It wasn't near her last client, home or in between. The rules are no unnecessary journeys and this was one, nothing to do with her profession. I'm in that force area and every weekend we are deluged by visitors, I've overheard people saying they had driven from Cheltenham, Bath and once Dudley! The rules change Monday, until then it's stay at home unless necessary

Your are allowed to drive "several miles" to exercise.

But exercise is allowed. And driving for exercise is not forbidden. Considering the news that's come out about eyebrows and hairdressing from the government today, they've got.a bloody brass neck enforcing draconian rules on the rest of us. Fucking ridiculous.

Funny how no one seems to give a shit over the close contact services our overlords have been getting during lockdowns @BonnieDundee

That sounds like bullshit grifting to me because I can't see what rule she has broken.

But if it's real it will be overturned I imagine.

@MercyBooth indeed

This should not be a matter for the police to decide. The law on distance for exercise should be precise, and any reports should be made by the police for the courts to decide. Allow a person to state any mitigating circumstances, proper justice not arbitrary ones.

The government in my view has hung the police out to dry. Worth remembering how many Metropolitan Police Commissioners could not work with Boris Johnson when he was London Mayor.

Funny you never hear of men getting fined Lone women, old women, pairs of women...

Bloody hell!

I do this all the time! Between jobs or on the way home I pick a nice, empty place to park and eat. It may not always be on the most direct route either!

I may or may not walk the dog whilst I am there! Fortunately the police I have seen whilst doing that have just smiled and nodded!

Seems strange that "Guidance" allows Police to levy on the spot £200 fines.

The BBC defined "few" as 43 not long ago. The word "several" has equally no useful meaning.

@minniemoocher

She wasn't between jobs, she had driven "several miles" to this beauty spot. It wasn't near her last client, home or in between. The rules are no unnecessary journeys and this was one, nothing to do with her profession. I'm in that force area and every weekend we are deluged by visitors, I've overheard people saying they had driven from Cheltenham, Bath and once Dudley! The rules change Monday, until then it's stay at home unless necessary

I agree.

The letter she posted on the Fb page states that she could not tell the police why she was there. She didn’t say she was there for exercise. She said in the letter she was listening to music and that’s all.

It’s hardly a beauty spot. To some maybe. It’s a main (ish) road very remote. Not somewhere I’d recommend lone females to walk.

The police have been breaking up “gatherings” there as it’s become a place for vandalism unfortunately. Loads of people off roading and tearing up the moorland.

As I said up thread. She had several offers to pay her fine. She has contacted all the local papers and TV news stations, radio stations.

Something is off to me.

Something may well be off but what kind of country do we live in where you can be fined for eating a sandwich in your car?

@IrishMamaMia

It's always a woman aswell, easy target.

It is, isn't it.

It seems women need more of a "reasonable excuse" to leave their home without police attention than men do. How many tradesmen are being fined for eating lunch in their van after a job?

@Delatron

Funny you never hear of men getting fined Lone women, old women, pairs of women...

Again, absolutely this.

Yes women definitely seem to be being disproportionately targeted by some forces. Men are being fined but usually for obvious alleged breaches like opening up gyms. Women are targeted for walking with a coffee in hand, sitting on a park bench or, as mentioned earlier, having a cup of tea int heir own garden with a friend. Or eating a sandwich in their car.

It seems to be forces in the south/west/Midlands on the biggest power trips. I have to hand it to northern forces - they've been mostly live and let live which has made things a lot less hostile and volatile.