Police urge Staffordshire residents to “do the right thing” as lockdown eases

Staffordshire Police is urging residents to “do the right thing” and stick to the current social distancing rules this weekend, ahead of restrictions easing next week.

From Monday (29 March), the Stay at Home rule set out by government, will change. 

From this point, you can gather with either two households or up to six people outdoors, and outdoor sports facilities will also reopen for use.

However, you must still continue to work from home where possible and minimise the number of journeys you make. You are still encouraged to stay local and holidays abroad will still not be allowed.

Superintendent Tom Chisholm, Head of Neighbourhood Policing at Staffordshire Police, said: “I want to thank the communities of Staffordshire for their continued support in what has been an incredibly challenging time for us all.

“As lockdown eases, I would urge residents to continue to do the right thing – remember hands, face and space, and do their upmost to adhere to the latest government guidelines.

“There will be a continued police presence as we move towards the next phase of the unlocking roadmap and officers will maintain their engage, explain and encourage approach.

“However, where there are blatant breaches of the rules, officers will not hesitate to carry out enforcement action to ensure the people of Staffordshire are protected from covid-19 and that residents’ collective community efforts are not undermined.

“We will continue to work with partner agencies, including local authorities, in our joint approach to assist people to understand their responsibilities in helping us tackle this deadly virus.

“We know it’s an exciting time but we must not get complacent now.

“As the change in the rules becomes established in the coming days, we may see crime levels increase.

“I would like to reassure the people of Staffordshire that we as a force have robust plans in place to tackle this and ensure we keep people safe as we see normality start to resume.

“In the meantime, I’d like to tell residents how impressed I have been with their collective action to help stop the spread of the virus, and I hope they continue to do so in the days and weeks to come.”

For more information on the changes in the government coronavirus restrictions, visit: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus.

You can contact Staffordshire Police on Facebook, Twitter, call 101 or 999 in an emergency.