Tory ministers have been slammed for muddling lockdown laws by the police watchdog.
HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) said confusion over the law was made worse by government figures - and put public confidence in the police "at risk".
In a report today, the watchdog said there was "widespread confusion" when ministers repeatedly gave "guidance" in press conferences which sounded like the criminal law, butt wasn't.
Examples included the two-metre social distancing rule, "stay local" travel guidance and "once a day" exercise rule, none of which were enforced by the criminal law.
Police officers then "misunderstood" and thought the guidance was the law - leading to high-profile blunders like drone checks on walkers and threats to check "non-essential" shopping.
The report concludes: "Ministers may create criminal offences only if authorised by Parliament to do so; they may not do so by the simple expedient of demanding action from a podium or behind a lectern.
"As difficulties arose and some well-publicised mistakes were made, public confidence in, and support for, the police were inevitably put at risk.
"And yet, despite these extraordinary difficulties and pressures, a very significant proportion of police work to deal with the lockdown was measured, proportionate and sound."
Ministers made high-profile claims in the early days of lockdown that contradicted either guidance, criminal law or both.
Michael Gove suggested joggers should limit exercise to half an hour a day, but that was in neither guidance nor the law.
The report said people were "inevitably confused" because ministers' pronouncements which "had no higher status than requests" were framed as "instructions to the British people".
With the law changing rapidly, the watchdog said "regrettably, in too many cases front-line police officers did not receive explanations which would have made their jobs much easier."
