Police Commissioner cites 'idiotic' rule breaches including Covid positive barber

12 January 2021, 19:54

Police Commissioner tells LBC officers are dealing with 'idiotic behaviour'

EJ Ward

By EJ Ward

The Police and Crime Commissioner for Sussex has told LBC her officers have had to deal with some "idiotic behaviour" as people break Covid rules.

Speaking to LBC's Iain Dale Katy Bourne OBE said the pandemic was difficult times for the public and particularly so for police officers.

Telling LBC that officers on the frontline were "putting themselves in harm's way" the PCC revealed her officers were dealing with "some pretty idiotic behaviour."

Citing an example from her county Ms Bourne said police dealt with one man who had entered people's homes to cut their hair "and he'd already tested positive for Covid."

She said it was "selfish behaviour" which was "beyond stupidity."

"The virus doesn't care if you're looking for a loophole in the law or regulations, all it cares about is spreading itself," she told LBC.

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The conversation comes after one of the UK's most senior police officers warned officers will not "waste time" reasoning with the worst violators of lockdown rules.

National Police Chiefs’ Council chairman Martin Hewitt has said officers will punish people who have “no regard” for the safety of others.

Speaking at a Downing Street press conference he outlined a series of recent examples of "irresponsible behaviour" that had been penalised - including a boat party in Hertfordshire with more than 40 people, and a minibus full of people from different households travelling from Cheltenham into Wales for a walk.