Police urge public to think twice before reporting 'minor' lockdown breaches in Sheffield

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a new national lockdown yesterday in a bid to halt the spread of coronavirus, with the NHS at risk of becoming overwhelmed as infection rates and hospital admissions rise.

An end date has not yet been set but the lockdown could last until the middle of February and beyond.

Police officers have the task of enforcing lockdown laws and dealing with breaches, with first time offenders at risk of £200 fixed penalty notices, which can be doubled to a maximum of £6,400 for repeat offences.

Anyone who organises an illegal gathering of 30 people or more can be fined £10,000.

Steve Kent, chairman of the South Yorkshire branch of the Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers, said: “It was clear that stricter measures were going to come and I’m sure our officers who are only human are frustrated and want to return to normality as much as anyone.

“Lockdown unfortunately doesn’t mean lockdown for criminals who don’t care about the restrictions. It also unfortunately doesn’t stop the terrible domestic incidents that officers frequently have to attend.

“So we could really do with officers not being pulled pillar to post to deal with minor lockdown breaches.”

He added: “As always officers will use their common sense and their discretion as they do so well and to that end as we have seen assaults on officers rise dramatically since Covid, it is absolutely that our officers don’t further become the punchbags for societies frustration at the situation.”

He again repeated calls for police officers to be given Covid vaccines as a priority.

“At this stage the government is on a path which seems to ignore the valuable and critical role they have performed throughout this crisis and they are still not being included in the early vaccinations, that is appalling,” he said.

“We are at the frontline of this as well as our friends in the NHS including supporting them when they frequently have their resources stretched, as well as dealing with normal policing issues which usually result in going into people’s homes day in day out and again puts our officers at risk.”