A top-ranking police officer in England has said crews will not patrol the border to stop people travelling from Wales when the fire-break lockdown ends.
Under the new set of national rules announced by First Minister Mark Drakeford, which come into effect on Monday as the 17-day fire-break period concludes, it will be illegal to leave Wales without a ‘reasonable excuse’. Such exemptions include things like attending work, where it cannot be done from home, or education.
While people who live here can travel anywhere they like within Wales it will be forbidden, therefore, to travel into England, which is now in its own four-week lockdown until December 2.
On Thursday, as the new measures in England kicked in, West Mercia Police chief constable Anthony Bangham said there would not be patrols in place along the border to enforce the new restrictions, BirminghamLive reported.
West Mercia’s force area includes Herefordshire and Shropshire, which both have a long border with Wales.
Mr Bangham said: “In many areas of our force we share a border with Wales and we understand there will be concerns, from both sides of the border, about how the differing rules will be managed – particularly for those who live on the border.
“I want to be clear we will not be patrolling the border. However we will continue to work closely with our colleagues in the Welsh forces to police the differing regulations and support the most affected communities.”
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Mr Bangham added: “We will continue to be out and about, providing a visible presence and engaging with the public as we all adjust to the new rules.
“We will continue to take a sensible and proportionate approach to the Covid-19 laws with our aim always to ensure public safety.
“If there are clear breaches, where people choose to put lives at risk by knowingly breaking the law, then we will take positive enforcement action – as the public would expect.”
