Coronavirus: Small groups in public not police matter says PCC

The police and crime commissioner said the force had to use "common sense"

A police commissioner has said people should not alert police if they see small groups of people potentially breaking lockdown restrictions.

Anthony Stansfeld, commissioner for the Thames Valley, said the force would break up large gatherings but had to use "common sense".

He also said his "personal view" was that people should be able to visit vulnerable friends in their gardens.

However, the Department of Health specifies meetings should be in public.

A spokesman said its advice continued to be that people should meet only one person from another household, and not in their garden.

Outdoor settings

The government began easing restrictions in England on Wednesday.

Under the new rules, two people from different households can meet in outdoor settings, such as parks, as long as they stay more than 2m apart.

Mr Stansfeld said: "Going into a lockdown is much easier than coming out of a lockdown. There are inevitably going to be anomalies.

"When have the young ever obeyed all the rules? We're not a police state, we just have to do this in a reasonable fashion."

He added: "If two or three people you don't know are talking to each other that is not a reason to call the police."

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He cited the case of a nurse who was stopped by police when she went to see her brother, who was dying of cancer, at a remote location.

"They were picked up and given a really unpleasant time," he said.

"They managed to see him for 10 minutes... he died two days later."

Epidemic specialist Professor Sian Griffiths said she supported the commissioner's stance, saying police were in a "difficult situation".

'Not a crime'

"As long as the person meeting the other one is 2m apart there is no need to try to intervene as we are supposed to be applying British common sense," she said.

"It is not a crime not to socially distance - merely guidance."

She also supported the idea of meeting vulnerable people in their gardens if social distancing was adhered to.

Between 27 March and 27 April Thames Valley Police issued 649 Fixed Penalty Notices, the most of all forces in England, for breaches of government public health regulations.

The Metropolitan Police came second with 634, and Lancashire Constabulary third with 633.