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Police will be distracted by the ‘jingles’ that betray their neighbors, officials warned Monday after an Interior Ministry minister told the public to inform anyone who breaks the new ‘rule of six’.
Surveillance Minister Kit Malthouse has sparked an uproar by telling the public to call non-emergency police number 101 if they see neighbors having a party.
On Monday, the controversial new coronavirus restrictions banning groups of more than six were criticized when a list of exemptions was published, generating further confusion for the public.
Under the new regulations, ‘mixing’ in a large group has been prohibited, with the exception of organized outdoor sports and activities such as hunting.
Police Minister Kit Malthouse sparked a fight after telling the public to report anyone who breaks the government’s new ‘rule of six’, which took effect on Monday.
The new coronavirus rules banning groups of more than six were criticized when a list of exemptions was published. In the photo, a group gathers in St George Park, Bristol, on Monday
The rules came in when temperatures as high as 30 ° C swept the country, with the British flocking to beaches and parks (above, people on the River Avon near Bath in Somerset).
Larger gatherings are allowed for work, childcare, or political protests. But getting together with six friends for fun in the park, a picnic, or a party is illegal.
Violators of the rules face fines of £ 100, rising to a maximum of £ 3,200 for repeat offenders.
The rules came in on Monday as warm weather swept the country, and the British flocked to beaches and parks to enjoy temperatures as high as 30 ° C.
But the new regulations state that people must not ‘mix with anyone who is participating in the meeting but is not a member of the same rating group as them.’
They add: ‘Activities in which there is a significant probability that groups of more than six will mix … should not be carried out until more secure Covid-19 guidelines have been developed and approved to allow the activity to happen in safe way.
“This can include extended visiting groups, large banquets, club or society meetings, or amateur music or theater rehearsals.”
However, places of worship, gyms, restaurants, and hospitality establishments can still host more than six in total, while up to 30 can attend weddings and funerals.
The regulations were released just before midnight Sunday, moments before they took effect and without the police having time to write their own guidelines.
But on Monday, Malthouse said violators of the rules should report to authorities.
‘Mingling’ in a large group has been prohibited, but larger gatherings are allowed for work, childcare or political protests (above, a demonstration in Newcastle city center on Monday)
Groups of up to 30 can still meet outdoors in Wales (pictured, Cardiff university students on Barry’s Island beach on Monday) as long as they maintain social distancing.
Gathering with groups of friends for a picnic or party is now illegal, and violators of the rules face fines of £ 100. Pictured, a group meets in Hove after the new rules went into effect.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today program: “We are in discussions about what reporting mechanisms might exist, but obviously there is a non-emergency number that people can call and report any problems they want.”
When asked if that would involve reporting a gathering of seven or more people in a neighbor’s yard, Malthouse said: ‘It is open to neighbors to do exactly that via the non-emergency number, and if they are concerned and They see that kind of thing, so they absolutely should think about it.
He revealed that he canceled his own son’s birthday party to avoid breaking the rules.
He added: ‘Police officers will obviously assess the situation in front of them, but in the end we all have an individual duty towards our collective health and we hope that opinion will prevail.
‘The police must start by encouraging people to comply and explain what the situation is and instill in them the duty they have to our collective health. Only in the situation where people refuse to comply should the police consider moving towards law enforcement. ”
But the number 10 caused confusion by suggesting that the police would not immediately start imposing fines on those who break the rules the first time.
On Monday, Ken Marsh, president of the Federation of Metropolitan Police representing base officers, said: ‘If this was so important, why did Boris Johnson wait to introduce this rule of six?
“People have been going out drinking, meeting their friends who can spread the virus, essentially doing what they want on the weekend because they knew it wouldn’t come until next week.”
He predicted that police would be distracted from their front-line duties, such as fighting crime with knives, saying, ‘We don’t have an endless pot of officers, they’ll be distracted by twitchers from the curtain – phone callers say I’ve seen seven people in the house next door. ‘ garden.’
Marsh said the new rules were a “perfect storm” for police amid rising levels of crime and protests.
Police are also concerned about enforcing different rules in Wales and Scotland, where children under 12 are exempt from repression.
Groups of up to 30 can still meet outdoors in Wales as long as they maintain social distancing.
