Shropshire Star

'Crazy anomaly' claim as police boss in tough warning for Covid rule breakers

A police boss has hit out at the "crazy anomaly" of people in restriction-hit areas of English being allowed to visit Wales.

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Arfon Jones

North Wales' Police and Crime Commissioner, Arfon Jones, has warned that irresponsible people breaking local lockdown rules in Wrexham and Denbighshire will be fined.

He said it was vitally important that everybody complied with the new restrictions imposed by the Welsh Government in order to curb and suppress the rising rate of Covid-19 infections.

And he has backed MP Liz Saville who has called for Boris Johnson to act to stop those under restrictions in England from travelling.

"I have seen the long queues of walkers pictured on Snowdonia, and the traffic jams at tourist destinations in the country," he said.

"It is a crazy anomaly."

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Those under restrictions in Wales are only allowed to leave their county for work and education.

Mr Jones warned that “irresponsible” people caught breaking the rules and spreading the virus would be liable to be fined.

“We feel for those businesses that are affected but I think if we want to control this virus, our hands are very much tied in what we must do.

“Like most people I was horrified to see pictures of people flouting social distancing rules whether holding illegal raves, house parties or in pubs and clubs."

“The people in Caerphilly and Newport have shown the way. They went into local lockdown two to three weeks ago, and the numbers are coming down.

“It shows that what the Welsh Government are trying to do actually works, as long as local people abide by the rules.

“I hope that our residents in these four North Wales counties will comply with the local lockdown, and the sooner we get the numbers back down and get back to some state of normality, the better."