Northamptonshire Police statement on Covid-19 developments

Please see a statement from ACC Simon Blatchly on entertainment venue closures to minimise the spread of Covid-19:

Assistant Chief Constable, Simon Blatchly, said: “Firstly, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the majority of the public in Northamptonshire who are adhering to government advice in regards to minimising the spread of Covid-19.

“We do not underestimate how much disruption these measures are causing to your daily lives and your cooperation is hugely appreciated.

“At Northamptonshire Police, we fully support government advice, including their instruction to close bars, cafés, restaurants and other entertainment venues. Our officers have been proactively visiting licenced premises in light of this instruction and will continue to do so over the coming weeks.

“To reiterate - none of these places should be opening at all until further notice.

"The response to Covid-19 is fast-moving and we are regularly meeting with our partners to ensure we are all ready to respond to this ever-changing situation.

“We continue to police the county as we normally would and anyone found to be breaking the law will be dealt with as they would be at any other time. Crime of any kind will not be tolerated and protecting the public will always be our highest priority.

“Finally, I would urge everyone to keep each other safe and support our incredible frontline NHS staff by continuing to follow all government advice and guidance.

“These are truly unprecedented times and there are difficult days ahead. However, by all playing our part and working together, we will come out the other side.

“In the meantime, your police service in Northamptonshire remains unwavering in its determination to protect the public and fight crime.”