‘Policing will do our bit, but everyone else needs to do theirs’, says North Wales Police in message to Covid rule-breakers

North Wales Police continue to urge communities to do the right thing by complying with the Welsh Government Level 4 restrictions.

The message comes following a busy New Year bank holiday period where officers stopped and turned away hundreds of families and groups who had travelled by vehicle to exercise in some of the region’s most popular beauty spots such as Snowdonia, Moel Fammau and Brenig.

Residents who are local to north Wales, as well as groups from as far away as Kent, Essex, Southampton and Milton Keynes have all been reported for breaching Covid-19 regulations.

Wales’ health minister Vaughan Gething today said police forces have the Welsh Government’s support in taking a more “enforcement led approach” to dealing with those who deliberately ignore the coronavirus rules.

Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Nigel Harrison said: “Wales is under Alert Level 4 restrictions and infections are rising, so teams will continue to target those who blatantly and persistently breach the rules.

“Throughout the festive period we undertook high visibility patrols and checks were made on the reasons people were travelling.

“Many individuals who were stopped were simply heading to the mountains and hills to enjoy the snow.

“Ordinarily this would have been great to see – however Level 4 restrictions state that exercise should start and finish from home and that nobody should be travelling unless essential.

“The restrictions are in place to prevent the spread of the virus, protect the NHS and save lives.

“They apply to every single one of us and it’s disappointing to think that some do not believe the restrictions apply to them.

“The restrictions are all about nudging back the infection rate, so rule breaking, however small, could and may have cost the life of yours or someone else’s loved one.

“We will continue to police in a sensible, proportionate and fair manner, and ask that everyone continues to take personal responsibility for controlling the spread of the virus and protecting themselves and others from harm.

“However, policing continues regardless of the current pandemic with officers responding to hundreds of emergency calls, searching for missing people and sadly responding to tens of calls in relation to violence in the home. Policing will do our bit, but everyone else needs to do theirs.

“We will not stand-by and allow blatant breaches of the legislation to happen across our communities.

“We will of course engage with the public and explain the legislation, and encourage people to take personal responsibility for their own safety and that of others.

“If, however, people continue to flout the regulations, demonstrate a blatant disregard for the health warnings and put significant strain on already stretched resources, we will take action.

“We are grateful to the overwhelming majority of people who recognise the seriousness of the situation and who are playing their part by complying with the restrictions.

“We want to continue working with our communities over what is likely to be a testing few months for everyone. ”

Further details around the Level 4 restrictions can be found via the Welsh Government website.

To report a possible breach of COVID-19 restrictions please go to the North Wales Police website.