Park coronavrius
© George Wood/Getty ImagesA sign reminding the public about the closure of a play area in Peel Park, Bradford.
Police say they have received 194,000 calls "snitching" on people alleged to have broken the coronavirus lockdown, and say the draconian measures are getting harder to for people to observe the longer they go on.

The figures from the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) give an insight into how the tough rules, and fears of the virus spreading, have affected communities.

Sara Glen, a deputy chief constable who is part of the NPCC's leadership tackling coronavirus, said: "We have members of the public who are coming in on the phones and [via the internet] to report where they've got concerns either at gatherings of people that they can see from their locations, or if they think people aren't adhering to the regulations and that's actually putting them at risk."

Some of the calls about lockdown rules allegedly being broken are counted in figures on reports of antisocial behaviour, which surged to around 215,000 in the four weeks to 27 April, compared with about 106,000 in the same period last year.


Comment: How's that for double-speak? Leaving your home is now being recorded by police as 'antisocial'.


Five weeks since laws enforcing the lockdown began, and with a decision looming about an extension soon, police said it was getting harder for people to comply.

The NPCC chair, Martin Hewitt, said: "I think it is inevitable that people will get restless, this is now quite an extended period of time."

He said last weekend police saw more traffic and people out, but compliance levels were the same. "I just think there is an inevitability that as the weeks progress, this is harder for people, and we are moving into warmer weather."


Comment: Throughout this extended lockdown it has been unseasonably warm and sunny in the UK so it's unlikely that the sole reason people are increasingly defying the draconian measures is simply down to the weather; some will be seeing the nefarious farce for what it is, others are worried about how they will survive, and others may simply see that the threats screaming at them from their media devices just don't reflect reality.


Increasing numbers of fines are being issued for infringing lockdown. In the two weeks to 13 April , which included the long Easter weekend, 4,152 fines were issued in England alone, and in the next fortnight there were 4,725 fines.

Two-thirds of the fines are being given to people aged under 34, and eight out of 10 to men.

Fines start at ยฃ60, reduced to ยฃ30 for prompt payment, and further breaches can lead to costs doubling each time, to a maximum of ยฃ960.

Some 391 people were fined more than once. One person has been fined six times, three people have been fined five times, six people fined four times and 343 fined twice.

Glen said "troublesome spots" include beaches and rural communities in the countryside where people want to walk.


Comment: Sandy, sunny beaches and rolling hills are the new no-go zones?


Officers have been accused at times of heavy handedness for setting up checkpoints, shaming people with drones and in some cases getting confused by the new laws, leading to people being wrongly prosecuted or fined.

But Hewitt said so far 0.02% of population had been fined - around one in every 5,000 people - supporting the impression of large-scale adherence to the lockdown, and police leaders believe their policy of enforcement being a last resort has worked.


Comment: That number is likely to be higher than those who died because of coronavirus.


NPCC figures show a postcode lottery of enforcement. Thames Valley police recorded the highest number of fines, 649, while the biggest force, the Met in London, issued 634. Warwickshire issued 22 fines, the fewest of any force.

Dorset issued 116 but next door in Devon and Cornwall there were 510 fines.