Police reiterate stay at home message as fines issued to campers

Staffordshire Police is reminding people they will be fined if they make unnecessary journeys to the county after issuing fines to a couple camping in the Moorlands overnight.

Officers patrolling Leek this afternoon came across the pair who were heading to the Peak District – claiming they were only doing so as a friend they’d be hoping to stay with in Harrogate had come down with symptoms of Covid-19.

It transpired that the man had recently flown into the country from Berlin following which he and his partner made the journey to the Moorlands via Harrogate and Wigan before their intended destination of the Peak District.

The incident is not the first of its kind in our rural beauty spots – with Moorlands officers coming across visitors from London and Nottinghamshire in the course of the last week.

The area’s Chief Inspector Mark Thorley said: “Our message and guidance has been clear throughout this lockdown. We are urging people to stay at home and save lives and when taking part in their daily exercise to do so close to home.

When we do have to leave the home we need to continue to ensure that what we are doing is necessary and reasonable. Now is not the time for people to be travelling unnecessarily into our rural communities and to our beauty spots for dog walking, exercise, camping or picnics.

I am pleased that the majority of people understand this but - for those making journeys from far and wide to places like the Moorlands - we will continue to use the discretion and good judgement of our officers in deciding whether or not your journey is considered “reasonable” or not. Our advice has been there for all to see throughout this lockdown and we will carry out enforcement action and issue fines if deemed necessary.

Our beauty spots and rural areas will be here when this is over – let’s make sure we stick together and do what is necessary so we can get back to normal as soon as possible.”