Ahead of what is planned to be another sunny bank holiday weekend we would like to reassure the communities of Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Telford & Wrekin and Shropshire that our reassurance patrols will be continuing.
Speaking today (Thursday, 7 May) Chief Superintendent Tom Harding called upon the public to keep adhering to the Government guidance to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus and to find ways to take part in the VE Day 75 celebrations safely at home.
He said: “Every day our West Mercia officers are out in our communities, engaging with people, explaining that the Government’s request for social distancing remains in place and encouraging people to do the right thing. This weekend we will be continuing this role that we play in the national response to the pandemic.
“With the sun shining and an, understandable, desire to celebrate VE Day 75, we acknowledge that some of you may be tempted to push the boundaries of the lockdown guidelines. However, please remember that they are in place still for a reason and we all need to keep going to support the NHS and save lives.
“We’re joining the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, which is leading on the VE Day celebrations, in saying that the greatest tribute to the Second World War generation is for us to mark this moment by keeping them safe by staying at home. There are plenty of suggestions for marking the occasion on the Government website here. If you are planning to take part in the 11am silence or 3pm toast in your front garden please remember social distancing and be considerate of your neighbours.
“We are sure many of you are welcoming the reopening of recycling centres. Our local authorities, along with site operators, are working to ensure that appropriate measures are in place to manage social distancing and traffic at the sites. With these, carwashes and more businesses starting to open we are anticipating seeing more vehicles on our roads – please remember these should still be essential journeys only.
“We understand the eagerness to support the stay at home message by reporting breaches of the legislation and thank you for this, however, please remember that we are out and about across the force area and will be stopping people who we believe could be in breach. Significant or serious breaches of the Covid-19 regulations can still be reported to us on our website here.”
