It’s the corona patrol! Police continue to shame thousands of people allegedly flouting lockdown rules… including a Twitter warning for Neil Kinnock’s MP son
- Officers have patrolled the country looking to break up picnics and parties
- Despite warnings, many Britons have continued to flout lockdown guidelines
- Rather than using their draconian powers to drag suspected lockdown louts to the cells, many forces have instead preferred to shame the culprits online
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Police armed with new powers to enforce the coronavirus lockdown continued to shame suspected wrongdoers yesterday – including the MP son of former Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock.
Officers have been patrolling the country looking to break up picnics and parties with threats of arrest or fines of up to £60 for those are breaching social distancing guidelines.
But rather than using their draconian powers to drag suspected lockdown louts to the cells, many forces have instead preferred to shame the culprits online in the hope of preventing further breaches.
Former Labour Leader Neil Kinnock and his wife, receiving food and a cake at a distance
When former Labour leader Neil Kinnock turned 78 on Saturday, his son Stephen, Labour MP for Aberavon, Wales, took to social media to share a heart-warming snap of their birthday meeting – sitting around six feet from his parents.
But his Twitter post was picked up by South Wales Police – who said the meeting was in breach of government guidelines.
A spokesman said: ‘We know celebrating your dad’s birthday is a lovely thing to do, however this is not essential travel.’
Mr Kinnock responded by claiming the travel was in fact essential as he was delivering ‘necessary supplies’ to his father and mother, former MEP Baroness Kinnock.
Neil’s son, Steven keeping a safe distance as he delivered supplies and wished his father Happy Birthday. After posting this image on social media he was contacted by police
South West Police felt the need to warn Stephen that wishing his dad happy birthday did not count as essential travel but Kinnock replied that he was also delivering necessary supplies
Despite warnings, many Britons continued to flout guidelines yesterday and were criticised by police.
In Derby, police gatecrashed a party and found 25 adults and children enjoying a large buffet and singing karaoke.
Officers said that guests had been dispersed. North West Motorway Police said a driver had been caught making a 224- mile round trip from Coventry to Salford, Greater Manchester, to buy £15 windows on eBay – with his wife in the boot on the return leg.
The Police are seen breaking up a football game taking place on Roath Rec in Cardiff
A police officer dressing up as a dog whilst enforcing the draconian lockdown measures
And a tourist was stopped in Devon after driving his motor home from Birmingham.
An officer said: ‘Birmingham to North Devon is not in the spirit of fighting the virus.’
Thugs also took up valuable police time by purposely coughing on officers and emergency workers while claiming to have contracted the virus.
On Saturday Paul Leivers, 48, from Mansfield,Nottinghamshire, was jailed for 12 months after spitting at police custody officers after saying he was infected.