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.
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.
Former Labour Leader Neil Kinnock and his wife, receiving food and a cake at a distance
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.
Despite warnings, many Britons continued to flout guidelines yesterday and were criticised by police.
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 were ‘absolutely shocked’ by the enormous buffet and sound system when they entered the property in Dover Street, Normanton, at 10pm on Saturday.
Despite the scene, however, officers only gave those at the party ‘strong words of advice’ before dispersing the party.
In Derby, police gatecrashed a party and found 25 adults and children enjoying a large buffet and singing karaoke
Officers were ‘absolutely shocked’ by the enormous buffet and sound system when they entered the property in Dover Street, Normanton, at 10pm on Saturday
‘It is clear people are still having complete disregard for the Government advice and rules,’ a statement to Twitter added.
Twitter users, however, were more baffled by the eclectic 1970s-style buffet the alleged lockdown rule-breakers were enjoying.
Derbyshire Police also broke up a picnic and shisha party where eight people were found chomping away on kebabs at Snake Pass in the Peak District on Thursday.
The individuals had travelled hundreds of miles from Manchester, Sheffield and Ipswich to meet, police said – who gave them a stern warning and sent them home.
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
North West Motorway Police added 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.
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.
Derbyshire Police dyeing the ‘blue lagoon’ in Harpur Hill, Buxton black, as gatherings there are ‘dangerous’ and are ‘in contravention of the current instruction of the UK Government’
In a Facebook post, Buxton safer neighbourhood policing team said: ‘No doubt this is due to the picturesque location and the lovely weather (for once) in Buxton’
It comes as Derbyshire Police faced accusations of ‘overzealousness’ from ex-MPs, lawyers and human rights groups.
Officers have been accused of officious muscle-flexing since the Coronavirus Act received Royal Assent last week.
This week, police poured black dye into a crystal blue lagoon in the Peak District to deter people from making ‘non-essential trips’.
In a Facebook post, Buxton safer neighbourhood policing team said: ‘No doubt this is due to the picturesque location and the lovely weather (for once) in Buxton.
‘However, the location is dangerous and this type of gathering is in contravention of the current instruction of the UK Government.
The force says that people should not be heading to the Peak District to admire the sunset while Britain is in lockdown
Derbyshire Police sent up their drone and filmed people on ‘not essential’ trips to the Peak District including people posing for an ‘Instagram snap’
‘With this in mind, we have attended the location this morning and used water dye to make the water look less appealing.’
Alex John Desmond, who lives nearby, wrote on Facebook: ‘This is a joke, the way this force is acting is not representative of policing by consent which is the way the UK is meant to be governed. You should be ashamed of yourselves.
‘You have taken something beautiful and damaged it.’
He added that the force was promoting a culture of ‘shaming’ individuals, claiming that he was shouted down on his first trip out since lockdown began.
Officers have been given powers to arrest people who are out of their homes on ‘non-essential’ journeys, with a three-strike fine policy which starts at £60 for a first offence, rises to £120 for the second and reaches £1,000.
A sign erected near Pembrokeshire reads ‘non locals please go home #covid-19’
Signs have been erected across the country urging people to stay home and not travel, such as this one in Bala, north Wales
Derbyshire Police previously tracked dog walkers, ramblers, and a group posing for Instagram pictures on a cliff top at sunset on Thursday night.
Using the unmanned aircraft they also gathered number plates from parked cars and traced their owners to their homes in Sheffield saying: ‘Walking your dog in the Peak District: Not essential.’
Big Brother Watch civil liberties group hit out at the behaviour, alleging: ‘It’s not at all clear what police powers are being used to do this. It’s critical we protect public health and critical we protect basic democratic norms too.
‘Arbitrary policing will not help the country to fight this pandemic.’