Police warn some crimes will be ignored during coronavirus lockdown

Police officers were forced to break up barbecues being held in different parts of Britain today as people flouted new draconian powers to disperse crowds of more than two to halt the spread of coronavirus.

West Midlands Police officers had to step in to disperse a large group of people having a barbecue in the Foleshill area of Coventry, while another group were doing the same in West Hampstead, North West London.

Fines of up to £1,000 are planned for those who flout rules announced by the Prime Minister last night putting strict limits on when people are able to leave the house, and banning public gatherings – but the penalties will start at just £30, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said.

Officers were also seen breaking up a group in Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester city centre this afternoon, including four people who appeared to be sitting too close together on benches.

In Coventry, West Midlands Police said officers had been forced to step in to disperse a large group of people having a barbecue in the Foleshill area of Coventry.

A tweet from Foleshill Police showing a photo of two charcoal grills near lock-up garages said: ‘Unbelievably, we’ve just had to deal with 20+ people having a BBQ!! Please listen to government advice else this will get worse and will last longer!! £RIPBBQ £COVID19 £StayHome £Foleshill £Coventry.’

Camden Labour councillor Richard Olszewski posted a photograph of the barbecue in West Hampstead, saying: ‘Who are these k***heads? Three idiots on Fortune Green setting up for a barbecue earlier this afternoon.

‘I hear Police intervened and ‘had a word’. The only people in the country who failed to get the memo to not be an a***?’

Met Police also spoke to people gathered in groups larger than two in central London parks while mounted police on horses were seen dispersing groups in Bow, east London.

In Shepherd’s Bush officers were forced to use a megaphone to disperse large crowds of people sunbathing on the green, clearly not abiding by the rules of the lockdown set by the Prime Minister.

From a police van, an officer said: ‘You can’t stay on the green, can you all go home. Can you all go home please this is not a holiday, it’s a lockdown, which means you don’t just come here and sunbathe. Please just leave.’

But with much of Britain enjoying wall-to-wall sunshine today, many were still flouting the rules and were seen hugging and kissing as they met close to the Essex resort’s pier.

Today experts warned forces will have to ignore some crime in order to tackle Britain’s coronavirus lockdown as officers warned that under-staffed forces will struggle to enforce draconian new movement rules.

Police Federation of England and Wales chairman John Apter said officers would have to make tough decisions about law and order as they were called upon to keep people at home as much as possible. Mr Apter also said officers on the frontline pandemic battle are being deliberately coughed and spat at by ‘vile creatures’ using coronavirus as a weapon.

As officers enforced Boris Johnson’s lockdown, it also emerged:

Builders across the UK have said they feel ‘angry and unprotected’ as they continued working on busy construction sites

Britain was placed under new draconian measures which to keep people indoors, including allowing outside exercise only once a day, social gatherings of more than two people banned, and non-essential travel prohibited, with police handed powers to slap offenders with fines;

Londoners continued to cram into packed Tube carriages during this morning’s rush-hour, with union chiefs calling on Sadiq Khan to get a grip of the capital’s public transport;

The Mayor of London came under fire for blaming commuters for flouting advice over non essential travel;

Former health secretary Jeremy Hunt demanded more NHS workers were tested for coronavirus, which has killed 335 and infected 6650 in the UK;

Supermarket websites crashed and delivery slots were booked solid for weeks as lockdown begun;

Sports Direct insisted it was providing an essential service and tried to open it stores, but was forced to U-turn under pressure from the government;

The FTSE 100 opened up 4 per cent as investors seemingly took confidence in the PM’s measures.

A group of men set up for a barbecue this afternoon in West Hampstead, North West London, despite the new UK rules