Police fears over enforcing coronavirus lockdown with 'loose rules' announced by Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson's relaxed lockdown guidance will make it "impossible" for police to enforce the stay-at-home measures, said a police chairman.

During a televised address from Downing Street on Sunday evening, the Prime Minister announced that workers are encouraged to return to jobs if they cannot work from home and said a phased reopening of non-essential shops and schools could begin from June 1 if transmission can be reduced.

But his speech has received criticism from police groups who are concerned the plans risk being a set of "loose rules that are left open to interpretation" and are difficult to implement.​

John Apter, the national chairman of the Police Federation of England & Wales, said: “What we need from the Prime Minister and the Government now is clear and unambiguous messaging and guidance, explaining what exactly is expected of the public, so that my colleagues can do their level best to police it.

“Police officers will continue to do their best, but their work must be based on crystal clear guidance, not loose rules that are left open to interpretation – because that will be grossly unfair on officers whose job is already challenging.”

Mr Apter noted that Mr Johnson’s statement came after a week of “mixed messages and the release of some information which, fuelled by media speculation, meant many people acted as though the lockdown had already ended”.

Brian Booth, the chairman of the West Yorkshire Police Federation said Mr Johnson's new rules were too "woolly" to enforce.

"Policing Covid 19 has become impossible after today," said Mr Booth on Twitter. "My colleagues cannot Engage, Explain, Encourage or Enforce such woolly rules.

"This is now down to the public to Police itself. Please let’s avoid a second spike."

The Police Federation of England and Wales is hoping for more details on the Government’s guidance when Mr Johnson is set to update Parliament on Monday.

This may also include details about an increase in fines, mentioned by Mr Johnson, for people who break social distancing rules.

Police have been given powers to break up gatherings or to tell those they believe to breaching the lockdown to return to their homes.

Officers are able to issue fixed penalty notices of £60, which can be doubled to for repeat offenders. Arrests can also be made when deemed "proportionate and necessary".

Mr Apter added: “If the message of what is expected of the public is not clear, then it will make the job of policing this legislation almost impossible.”

It comes after the Metropolitan Police Federation (MPF), which represents police officers in London, criticised the Government’s pandemic response as “wishy-washy” amid concerns that the public had begun ignoring lockdown restrictions.

MPF’s Ken Marsh told BBC Radio 4: “It’s been quite wishy-washy how we’ve gone about it.

“Had we been very stringent from the off – it is painful, but it’s not overly painful in terms of what you’re actually being asked to do – then I think we would have a better result now.”

Between March 27 and April 27, police issued nearly 9,000 fixed penalty notices for people who were allegedly breaching coronavirus lockdown rules, while 299 were issued in Wales over the same period.

Some 397 were for repeat offenders, with one person fined six times.

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