Cops ask Brits to use telephone ‘hotline’ and ‘snoopers’ form to report people breaching coronavirus lockdown
COPS are encouraging Brits to use a telephone 'hotline' and 'snoopers' form to report anyone breaching the coronavirus lockdown.
Police across the country have created online portals and phone lines which concerned citizens can use to submit tip-offs if they see people breaking the rules introduced to stop the spread of the virus.
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Humberside, West Midlands, Greater Manchester and Avon and Somerset Police are among the forces encouraging Brits to report gatherings of more than two people.
Anyone filling out the online forms will need to provide their contact details and specific details of the alleged violation, including the address, date, and time of the incident.
The online portals were created after a surge in calls about to the non-emergency 101 number left the service overstretched.
Cops have said the 101 line has become inundated with calls from furious members of the public shaming their neighbours after spotting them breaking the strict lockdown rules.
Some furious Brits have even shamed their neighbours online, posting pictures of lockdown breakers.
One person, from Rugby, Warks, posted an image of a builder working on his elderly neighbours’ home and said: “This is supposed to be on lockdown”.
He wrote: “It’s not being taken seriously at all. My elderly neighbours have builders in today. This is supposed to be on lockdown.”
RULE-BREAKERS
The news comes after people were seen flocking to parks and beaches this weekend, ignoring strict government advice around social distancing.
And on Wednesday, police shared shocking shared shocking footage of the moment they caught sunbathers enjoying the sun in a London park during the lockdown.
Officers in Coventry were also forced to break up a group of 20 people who had gathered for a barbecue earlier this week.
Under the lockdown, announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday, residents are only allowed to leave their home for essential reasons and police have the power to enforce these new rules.
All non-essential shops are shut, public gatherings limited to a maximum of two people and weddings asked to be cancelled.
Officers say the government's advice is clear and Brits must stop treating the situation "like a holiday".
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Today, the UK coronavirus death toll rose to to 1,019 after 260 people died in the last 24 hours.
There are currently 17,089 in Britain who have tested positive for Covid-19.
And government advisers have suggested "greater enforcement" of social distancing policies could be needed if the numbers continue to rise.
