169 lockdown fines in four days

Nearly 1,000 verbal warnings too

Devon and Cornwall Police said it spoke to over 5,000 people about lockdown rules and issued at least 169 fines over the Easter bank holiday weekend.

It was part of an operation that saw patrols carrying out more than 4,000 visits to beauty spots and businesses across the region. 960 people were also given verbal warnings for failing to follow the guidance.

Around a quarter of those fined were people who lived outside of Devon and Cornwall.

Assistant Chief Constable Glen Mayhew said: “We shared the concern of our communities that a small number of people continued to breach the restrictions and were putting lives at risk. Our approach was to speak with people and I am really pleased that these figures show a proportionate response.

“With around 3 percent of these checks resulting in enforcement we believe that this shows that our officers used enforcement proportionately and as a last resort.

“We all wanted to enjoy the weather this weekend, but thankfully our beauty spots continue to remain noticeably quieter which shows that the vast majority of the public are taking government guidance seriously, and are playing their part in helping to reduce the spread of Covid-19, protect the NHS safe and save lives.

“We have seen a slight increase in traffic on the roads, but our road-side checks are establishing that the majority of these who are on our roads are undertaking essential travel.

“I understand the appeal for people to go out, but we need to keep to the restrictions. The signs are that they are having an impact so we all need to do our part to reduce the strain on our NHS as this will ultimately save lives. Policing with the support of our communities is our priority and we will continue to use discretion and only use enforcement as appropriate.”