WILTSHIRE’S most senior police officer called on people to follow the Government’s coronavirus lockdown rules.
Chief Constable Kier Pritchard said officers would continue to patrol their beats and investigate crimes. But he warned that the coming months would be challenging.
He said: “We will still be answering emergency calls, we will still be a visible presence in our communities, and we are continuing to investigate crimes.
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“That doesn’t mean that things aren’t going to be difficult for us. We know that there are challenging times ahead, and we are working hard to ensure we are able to respond swiftly to those challenges.
“What we need is cooperation from the public – we need you to adhere to these new measures, we need you to behave responsibly and safely, and we need you to work with us to ensure everyone is as safe as possible.
“Our message is clear – please stay at home and follow the instructions from the Government, in order to try to slow the spread of the virus, protect the NHS and save lives. We all need to work together and support each other to get through this difficult time.”
Police and crime commissioner Angus Macpherson added: “It is vitally important to remember that these measures have been introduced for the greater good.
“They are a critical and necessary step in the fight against coronavirus and it requires us all to pull together and play our part to keep people safe and hopefully enable us to get our lives back to normal as soon as possible.”
Mr Pritchard’s comments came as Royal Wootton Bassett police took to social media to lambast those flouting the lockdown.
Officers blasted: “Buying fence paint is not essential. Seeing your friends is not allowed. Being rude to the policing team who are trying to keep everyone safe is incredibly disappointing.”
Barely an hour after the Prime Minister announced sweeping rules aimed at preventing the spread of the virus police were called to deal with a boy racer meet at the John Street car park in Swindon town centre.
Officers slapped a dispersal order on the multi-storey banning people from gathering at the car park and causing a nuisance.
The section 35 order gives police the power to move people on. It will end on Wednesday night.
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