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People who ignore coronavirus restrictions must be prepared to “face the consequences of higher levels of enforcement,” police warned.
The chiefs of police of five forces in the North West of England have said in an open letter that they will “collectively target” the minority of people who break the rules by holding large gatherings, music events and parties.
His words come just days before stricter restrictions are introduced in England in an effort to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
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Senior officers, from forces covering Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside, said their forces had taken a “very measured” approach to law enforcement and had used a model of “engage, explain, encourage and only as a last resort, enforce. “
“Unfortunately, we have seen a minority throughout the Northwest who seem unable to demonstrate civic responsibility and comply with regulations.”
They said the public wanted a “consistent and robust” approach to enforcement and that the introduction of local restrictions had caused forces to take a “firmer stance” on the restrictions and move more quickly to issue fixed sanction notices.
They wrote: “We know how difficult this is, but we must uphold that shared purpose we had in the first lockdown to defeat the virus and ultimately save lives.
“For the minority who feel restrictions are not being applied to them, be prepared to face the consequences of higher levels of enforcement.
“We will collectively target those who disobey restrictions, particularly those who host large gatherings and music events, repeatedly hold parties, or deliberately cause harm to our communities by not following restrictions such as self-isolation when necessary.
“When we have issued fixed penalty notices, a significant proportion of recipients believe they can ignore them.
“Therefore, we are seeking the support of the government and the judiciary to consider how to bring these people to justice quickly.”
On Tuesday, the UK reported 397 people had died within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test, the highest number since May.
There were also 20,018 new COVID-19 cases, compared to 18,950 the day before.
