Britain’s roads are eerily quiet this Easter weekend after police forces across the country threatened to stop and search those venturing out during the four-day break in a bid to clamp down on all non-essential travel.
Motorways, usually teeming with millions of holidaymakers making their way to seaside resorts, were left deserted this morning after police said they would set up road blocks to grill motorists on whether their trips are legitimate.
It comes as several police forces across the country threatened to ‘check the items in baskets and trolleys’ today as Brits loaded up on gardening items such as paddling pools, barbecues and sun loungers.
Cambridge Police’s official Twitter account boasted that officers had visited a local superstore this morning to snoop on shoppers and found aisles selling non-essentials were ’empty’.
The tweet caused outrage from social media users, with many pointing to a post sent by the same account hou rs earlier thanking a local chocolate shop for dropping off a ‘generation donation of goodies’ at its police station.
It comes as Downing Street warned police today that shops were’ free to sell anything they have in stock ‘, while Home Secretary Priti Patel called on officers not to be’ heavy-handed ‘during the coronavirus lockdown.
Police chiefs had called for laws to ban Britons from driving long distances and flouting rules to exercise more than once a day ahead of a (F) C) Easter weekend.
Warnings that officers would stop and search those venturing out during the four-day break saw Britain’s roads left eerily quiet on Good Friday, on what is usually one of the busiest days of the year for car journeys.
The M5 motorway in Worcester, Worcestershire, which is normally busy during the Easter bank holiday getaway, is almost completely empty this morning as the UK continues in lockdown to reduce the spread of coronavirus
Cambridge Police’s official Twitter account boasted this morning that officers had visited a local superstore and found aisles selling non-essentials such as barbecues and sun loungers were ’empty’
Motorways Such as the M6 (shown today), usually teeming with millions of holidaymakers, were left deserted this morning after police said they would set up road blocks to grill motorists on whether their trips are legitimate
Cambridge Police’s tweet in which it gloated of prowling through non-essential aisles was met with anger by many on social media.
The tweet read: ‘Officers visited Tesco Barhill this morning as part of their patrols around supermarkets and green spaces this weekend.
‘ Good to see everyone was abiding by social distancing measures and the non-essential aisles were empty. ‘
Among those to chastise the post was Pip Moss, who wrote:’ The law does not forbid the purchase of non-essential items when also shopping for essentials such as food.
‘Your officers time could be better spent, and over-stepping the law like this harms public confidence in the police.’
Another user added: ‘One day you’re going to have to look back on all this and tell people that in the midst of crisis you chose to spend your time patrolling around looking to enforce laws that did not exist. ‘
Speaking yesterday, Northamptonshire Police said the ‘three-week grace period is over’ and threatened that they may even soon start ‘checking the items in baskets and trolleys’.
Its Chief Constable Nick Adderley said: ‘We will not at this stage be starting to marshal supermarkets and checking the items in baskets and trolleys to see whether it’s a legitimate and necessary item.
‘But again, be under no illusion, if people do not heed the warnings, and the pleas that I’m making, we will start to do that.’
And he added: ‘If things don’t improve, and we don’t get the compliance we would expect, then the next stage will be road blocks and it will be stopping people to ask why they are going , where they’re going. ‘
But asked about the prospect of police officers specifically checking shopping trolleys, Ms Patel told TalkRADIO: ‘That is not appropriate, let me be clear on that … that is not the guidance. ‘
Officers in Windermere, Cumbria, are already sending people in camper vans home, while locals in St Ives, Cornwall, blocked some roads to protect vulnerable residents.
Officers from North Yorkshire Police are seen yesterday in York as they stop motorists in cars to check that their travel is ‘essential’
Shoppers queue using social distancing outside an Asda supermarket in Gateshead, north-east England yesterday as Brits loaded up on garden items ahead of the long weekend
Brits are continuing to load up on food and drink, with shoppers pictured here as they queued up to enter a Sainsbury’s supermarket in west London ahead of the Easter weekend
Police officers talk to members of the public at a park in Northampton yesterday, as Northants Police announced they are toughening up their social distancing enforcement
Northamptonshire Police Chief Constable Nick Adderley (pictured today) said his force is only ‘a few days away’ from introducing road blocks and searching shopping trolleys
Britons load-up for lockdown weekend: Sales of Easter eggs, wine, barbecues and paddling pools soar by up to 4, (%)
Sales of paddling pools and barbecues have skyrocketed in the lead up to the Easter weekend as Brits prepare for a sun-drenched lockdown in the back garden after police threatened to stomp out all non-essential travel.
Sunny forecasts for the weekend has seen sun loungers and parasols sell out on online websites, as officers warned they would go through peoples ‘shopping for’ non -essential items’ if they dared to venture outside to shop.
Amazon reported a 4, per cent rise in the sale of paddling pools in the last 30 hours, while Waitrose saw a threefold increase in the sale of yoga equipment as Brits
Brits are also continuing to load up on food and drin k, with Hotel Chocolat revealing that it had seen a 565 per cent increase in online orders for Easter eggs, while Thorntons had seen a similarly ‘dramatic increase’.
Alcohol sales are still rising, too, with wine sales in supermarkets and corner shops jumping up by 24 per cent in March, according to consumer analysts Kantar.
Discount website Vouchercodes said it had seen a 728 per cent increase in the search for DIY equipment in the week-long lead up to the Easter weekend, as well as a 823 per cent rise in searches for gardening equipment.
Sales of paddling pools and barbecues have skyrocketed in the lead up to the Easter weekend as Brits prepare for a sun-drenched lockdown in the back garden after police threatened to stomp out all non-essential travel.
Sunny forecasts for the weekend has seen sun loungers and parasols sell out on online websites, as officers warned they would go through peoples ‘shopping for’ non -essential items’ if they dared to venture outside to shop.
Amazon reported a 4, per cent rise in the sale of paddling pools in the last 30 hours, while Waitrose saw a threefold increase in the sale of yoga equipment as Brits
Brits are also continuing to load up on food and drin k, with Hotel Chocolat revealing that it had seen a 565 per cent increase in online orders for Easter eggs, while Thorntons had seen a similarly ‘dramatic increase’.
Alcohol sales are still rising, too, with wine sales in supermarkets and corner shops jumping up by 24 per cent in March, according to consumer analysts Kantar.
Discount website Vouchercodes said it had seen a 728 per cent increase in the search for DIY equipment in the week-long lead up to the Easter weekend, as well as a 823 per cent rise in searches for gardening equipment.
Police have also created online forms for people to report potential breaches of the lockdown which was imposed on March 25 to slow the spread of the deadly disease.
Merseyside Police said it will begin randomly stopping cars in its area to ensure drivers are sticking to lockdown rules ahead of the weekend.
Home Secretary Priti Patel , who has not been seen or heard in public since March , said in an unexpected radio interview this evening that police must not act in a ‘heavy-handed’ manner during the coronavirus lockdown.
She also said the government will ‘absolutely not’ be increasing police powers amid concerns about the way in which some officers have interpreted government guidance on breaking up groups and stopping journeys.
Ms Patel’s intervention came as:
- England, Scotland and Wales recorded more coronavirus deaths yesterday, taking Britain’s total to 7, 9137 as the coronavirus crisis continues;
- Boris Johnson’s condition is’ continuing to improve ‘after a third night in intensive care at St Thomas’ Hospital in London w Here he is being treated for coronavirus.
- Downing Street said Britain was at a ‘critical juncture’ in the battle to curb the spread of the disease;
- The Government made clear there can be no early lifting of the strict social distancing rules, urging the public to ‘stick with it’;
At least five chief constables are calling for the introduction of more stringent restrictions and clearer rules – including laws to enforce limiting exercise to a one-hour period outdoors after some people flouted it to sunbathe in parks or beaches.
Mr Adderley said forces are ‘damned if you do, damned if you don’t’ when it comes to implementing the lockdown rules, and said the government guidance ‘could be even clearer’.
Reacting to the trolley claims made by Mr Adderley, ex-justice secretary David Gauke said they were ‘wholly inappropriate’ and reveal ‘worrying and unacceptable authoritarian instincts.’
Civil liberties campaigners were also furious, with big brother watch director silkie carlo stating the ‘suggestion of police rummaging through people’s shopping trolleys is outrageous’ as she questioned what the legal basis would be for doing so.
Police in Cumbria turned around a family of two adults and four children who were visiting Windermere yesterday – and sent them back on the motorway to Leigh in Greater Manchester
Two men from Yorkshire were stopped in Windemere today after heading there to go canoeing
A police officer approaches a man using an outdoor gym at a park in Northampton today
Mr Adderley later attempted to clarify his remarks, tweeting: ‘To be clear on the shopping trolley issue: This is about essential and necessary journeys, not what ‘s in your trolley. I have been clear that we will not be judge and jury on what is an essential item or not, but we may now probe the purpose of the journey. ‘
The police have the power to issue fines to people who gather in groups during the lockdown. People are only supposed to go outside for food, medicine, to get to work, or for exercise once a day.
The emergency Coronavirus Act gave police powers to impose restrictions on ‘events and gatherings’ and it has been suggested that this could be used by forces in an attempt to justify road blocks.
However, the law does not include any provision that could force people to require prior permission, show paperwork, or demonstrate reasonable cause for leaving their home.
Police forces in Cambridgeshire, London, Greater Manchester , West Yorkshire, Kent and Avon and Somerset have all brought in online services for the public to report potential breaches of the lockdown rules.
A block stopping people going down a pedestrian-only street in St Ives, Cornwall, asking them to use an alternative route instead to avoid vulnerable people
An overhead sign on the M8 in Glasgow advises people today not to travel this Easter weekend, with concerns that the hot weather will lead to Brits flouting lockdown rules
A stream of people are pictured as they make their way down Putney Embankment in South West London yesterday while enjoying the sunshine
The announcement on the online forms from Cambridgeshire Constabulary faced some criticism online, with one person describing it as a ‘revolting’ idea.
But a spokesman for the force urged people to only use the form ‘if there is a significant issue or breach’.
Police forces in beauty spots across Britain have reported seeing visitors travel long distances from their homes to enjoy the recent warm weather.
People traveled far to spend time in Cumbria last weekend, while Malham Cove in North Yorkshire had visitors from Bradford, Leeds and Oldham – which is more than 77 miles away.
In the South West, Chief Superintendent Ian Drummond-Smith, police commander for Cornwall, warned non-residents to stay away from the area.
He said: ‘Our officers will be patrolling this weekend, firstly on the M5 and A 50 in an attempt to prevent visitors from entering the force area, and then locally to enforce the restrictions.
‘We will do so in a fair and balanced manner, but traveling down to the West Country is a serious breach of these restrictions and those doing so can expect to receive a fine. ‘
The residents of Worth Matravers, on the Purbeck coast of Dorset, where a sign is pictured today, say there has been an influx of second home owners since the coronavirus took hold
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