Coronavirus: Villagers demand release from Leicester's local lockdown

Campaigners in Glenfield have called for their "release" from the local lockdown

Residents are protesting against being included in Leicester's local lockdown boundary zone.

Glenfield is outside the city limits but was included in the boundaries laid out two weeks ago.

On Thursday, the government is expected to decide whether or not it will be easing measures, but villagers are asking to be "released" regardless.

Leicestershire County Council, who helped draw up the map, recognised the boundaries are not "perfect".

But it said it could not discuss any changes until after the government's announcement.

'Release Glenfield now'

Andrew Norman has set up a petition calling Glenfield's inclusion in the lockdown "wrong", demanding an apology for being "overlooked" and asking for an immediate release.

So far, about 950 people have signed it.

Mr Norman said: "They're struggling to understand why people they know in the surrounding areas are now able to enjoy the luxuries we can't."

Andrew Norman's petition said the local lockdown is having a "having a negative effect on mental health and local businesses"

Kim Thornley, landlady of the Railway Inn, said: "I've had enough. I've got a cellar full of beer which we were hoping to open on 4 July and I can't use it."

Data released by the council last week showed Glenfield had had about 55 cases of coronavirus up to 4 July.

Its rate of cases per 100,000 people was much lower than Leicester's, and lower than some parts of the county which are not included in the lockdown.

The boundary has been controversial from the start and Leicester's city mayor, Sir Peter Soulsby said he "shared the anger and frustration" of people living in parts of the zone showing lower transmission rates.

Mr Soulsby said given the latest data it was "no longer possible to justify the continuation of the lockdown across the remaining 90% of the greater Leicester area."

He said they now knew "which streets, which houses, which communities" had the highest number of cases in the city, and would concentrate their work in those areas.

This week, Charnwood borough councillors wrote to Mr Hancock calling for some areas to be removed and county council leader Nick Rushton spoke to the health secretary about the release of certain areas with lower infection rates.

Kim Thornley believes their inclusion in the boundary is "unfair"

The county council said it chose areas close to the city, where there are generally higher rates of infection, and used easy-to-understand boundaries such as major roads.

In Glenfield, the division between city and county largely runs through residential streets and gardens.

A statement on its website reads: "Wherever you draw a line it would make some people unhappy.

"We need to get on top of this virus before it spreads further in Leicestershire again. It's regrettable we've had to single out areas for further restrictions but this reflects our current knowledge on risk."

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