Police urge shoppers to wear face coverings

Police are urging people to comply with the new rules making the use of face coverings mandatory in shops from the end of this week.

Last week Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced that from Friday, July 24, people visiting shops and supermarkets will be required to wear a face covering, or risk being issued with a £100 fine.

Assistant Chief Constable Simon Blatchly urged people to be sensible and follow the Government’s advice.

He said: “The Government has made it clear that people visiting shops and supermarkets from this Friday must wear a face covering, as part of the drive to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

“Thankfully the number of cases of coronavirus is much lower now than a couple of months ago, however, as restrictions ease it is essential that we all follow the Government guidance in a bid to prevent a second wave of cases.

“The Government has suggested that police forces will be able to issue Fixed Penalty Notices of £100 to anyone who fails to wear a face covering in shops and supermarkets from Friday. We will not be patrolling every outlet in Northamptonshire and so are relying on people following the rules.

“Our demand levels across the county have returned to pre-Covid levels and we have to prioritise the calls we receive, and so unless there is a public order issue, we won’t be attending calls about people failing to wear a face covering.

“If people have concerns about shoppers not wearing face coverings, we ask they report the incident online, rather than contact our control room, to allow our call handlers to answer emergency calls.”

It is expected some people will be exempt from wearing face coverings in shops and supermarkets, similar to those in place for people using public transport.

You can report breaches of coronavirus legislation, including around the misuse of face coverings here.