Ministers did not understand their own lockdown rules, former GMP chief says
manchestereveningnews.co.ukMinisters did not understand their own Covid lockdown rules, causing confusion and 'huge resentment' among the police charged with enforcing them, a former GMP chief has said.
Police forces across the UK were criticised for their sometimes heavy-handed approach to enforcing lockdown rules, including using drones to monitor people going for a walk in the Peak District and breaking up a child's birthday party in Salford.
Speaking after the latest tranche of Matt Hancock's leaked messages showed he discussed the need to 'get heavy' with the police over enforcing measures, former GMP Chief Constable Sir Peter Fahy said the comments showed how difficult it was for officers to police lockdowns.
An exchange from August 2020 published by the Daily Telegraph revealed how the then-health secretary and Cabinet Secretary Simon Case feared officers were not doing enough to prevent people from breaking the rules. Read more: Family of young woman, 22, murdered by her sadistic boyfriend issue urgent plea Mr Hancock also messaged Mr Case the following January to inform him that the 'PM was in vg shape' and that 'the plod got their marching orders'.
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