Policing across Staffordshire in national lockdown three

As the third national lockdown takes effect, Staffordshire Police is urging residents to do their bit to beat the virus by staying at home to save lives and protect the NHS.

It comes as both Staffordshire County Council and Stoke-on-Trent City Council are reporting significant increases in cases across the region.

As a result, everyone is being asked by to take personal responsibility for following the rules and staying home, unless they have a valid reason not to be there.

These latest restrictions mean you must only leave home to:

• shop for things you need, for you, or a vulnerable person
• go to work, or provide voluntary or charitable services, if you cannot reasonably do so from home
• exercise with those from your household, support bubble, or one other person
• meet your support bubble, or childcare bubble, where necessary
• seek medical assistance to avoid injury, illness, or risk of harm (including domestic abuse)
• attend educational or childcare establishments - for those eligible

Deputy Chief Constable of Staffordshire Police, Emma Barnett, said: “It is critical that communities across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent continue to work together to follow the rules, to help prevent the NHS becoming overwhelmed by the new strain of Covid-19 and to prevent more lives being lost.

“We recognise that the last ten months have been very challenging for people and will continue to be so over the coming weeks.

"I would like to thank the vast majority of people across our county for following the rules and adhering to the stricter guidelines.

“As throughout the pandemic, our officers will work with local communities to engage with people proportionately, fairly and using common sense, to encourage compliance with the regulations.

"Where people are determined to break these rules, which are in place to keep people safe, we will not hesitate to move to enforcement and issue a fine, targetting our resources towards those who commit the most serious breaches and put others at risk through their behaviour.

“Our experience so far is that the vast majority of people have taken personal responsibility for doing the right thing and I am confident that will continue so that we can bring the virus under control and start to think about a return to a more normal way of life.”

To find out more about the restrictions, visit: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/national-lockdown-stay-at-home