England is officially back in lockdown: Everything you need to know
From today (5 November), many businesses will close, most household mixing will be banned, and almost everyone is being urged to stay at home as much as possible for four weeks.
From today (5 November), many businesses will close, most household mixing will be banned, and almost everyone will need to stay at home as much as possible.
The new restrictions will be in force until December 2 – when the government will perform a review.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is promising the lockdown will be lifted on schedule, but in the meantime, most of the country is set to spend four weeks in hibernation.
Here’s what you need to know now about the second lockdown.
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What am I allowed to do during the second lockdown?
From today, an official stay at home order is in effect. This means that you can only leave home for certain reasons.
These include:
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Work and volunteering
Essential shopping
Visiting people in your support bubble
Medical reasons (such as appointments).
For individual prayer at a place of worship
Can I meet others during lockdown?
The government’s official advice is as that you must not socialise in general.
However, you are allowed to exercise or meet in a public outdoor space with people you live with, your support bubble (or as part of a childcare bubble), or with one other person.
The only time you should be congregating in groups is at work, volunteering services and support groups. More info is available on the government website.
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What must close during the second lockdown?
The full list of premises required to close in the second lockdown is as follows:
All non-essential retail must shut. This includes clothing and homeware stores, vehicle showrooms (other than for rental), betting shops, tailors, tobacco and vape shops, electronic goods and mobile phone shops, and market stalls (click-and-collect and delivery services are permitted).
Cafes, restaurants, pubs, bars and social clubs; with the exception of providing food and drink for takeaway, click-and-collect, drive-through or delivery
Hotels, hostels, guest houses and campsites (can remain operational in certain circumstances, such as when functioning as residences or for essential work purposes)
Leisure centres, gyms, swimming pools, tennis and basketball courts, golf courses, fitness and dance studios, climbing walls, archery, driving, and shooting ranges
Theatres, concert halls, cinemas, museums and galleries, casinos, amusement arcades, bingo halls, bowling alleys, skating rinks, go-karting venues, soft play centres and areas, circuses, funfairs, zoos and other animal attractions, water parks, theme parks
Botanical gardens, heritage homes and landmarks must close, though outdoor grounds of these premises can stay open
Hairdressers, barbers, beauty, tanning and nail salons
Tattoo parlours, spas, massage parlours, body and skin piercing services
Community centres, halls and libraries must close but can also remain open to certain people (e.g. libraries can provide access to IT and digital services for people who do not have it at home)
Places of worship, apart from for the purposes of independent prayer, and service broadcasting and funerals
What can stay open during the second lockdown?
Some companies can continue trading throughout the second lockdown. These include:
Food shops
Supermarkets
Garden centres
Retailers providing essential goods and services
Petrol Stations, car repair and MOT services, bicycle shops, and taxi and vehicle hire businesses
Banks, building societies, post offices, loan providers and money transfer businesses
Funeral directors
Launderettes and dry cleaners
Medical and dental services
Vets and pet shops
Agricultural supplies shops
Storage and distribution facilities
Car parks, public toilets and motorway service areas
The government has also published a list of businesses and places ‘permitted to open for a small number of exempt activities’. These include:
Education and training (including for schools to use sports and leisure facilities where that it part of their normal provision)
Childcare purposes and supervised activities for children
Blood donation
Food banks
Medical treatment
Elite sports persons (in indoor and outdoor sports facilities), professional dancers and choreographers (in fitness and dance studios)
Training and rehearsal without an audience (in theatres and concert halls)
Professional film and TV filming
Public services will also remain open throughout the next lockdown. These include:
GPs
Dentists
Job centres
Courts and probation services
Civil Registrations Offices
Passport and Visa Services
Services provided to victims
Waste/recycling Centres
Can I travel during the second lockdown?
The government states: “If you live in England, you cannot travel overseas or within the UK, unless for work, education or other legally permitted reasons, and you should look to reduce the number of journeys you make.”
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Travel is permitted for the following reasons:
travelling to work where this cannot be done from home
travelling to education and for caring responsibilities
to visit those in your support bubble – or your childcare bubble for childcare
hospital, GP and other medical appointments or visits where you have had an accident or are concerned about your health
to buy goods or services from premises that are open, including essential retail
to spend time or exercise outdoors – this should be done locally wherever possible, but you can travel to do so if necessary (for example, to access an open space)
attending the care and exercise of a pet, or veterinary services
For all the information on the new set of national restrictions, head over to the government website.
News
Police officer who sexually assaulted a child while on duty sacked
Daisy Jackson
A ‘morally reprehensible’ police officer who sexually assaulted a child while on duty has been sacked and barred from service.
GMP held an accelerated misconduct hearing with PC Dean Dempster, 35, and he has been dismissed without notice.
The disgraced officer admitted ‘sexually touching’ the six-year-old child in December 2023 and is set to be sentenced at a later date.
He was a response officer in Oldham at the time that the offence was reported, and was arrested by a supervisor when he returned to work the next day.
A senior officer has now said that Dempster ‘has no right to be in police uniform or in a position to serve the public’.
Another said it was ‘among the most distressing cases ever presented’ and a ‘despicable betrayal’ of police duties.
Dempster was convicted of sexually assaulting a young girl while responding to an incident on 29 December 2023.
He was convicted at Liverpool Crown Court in February and remained suspended since being charged at the end of last year.
Presiding over today’s hearing, CC Watson found PC Dempster’s conduct amounted to gross misconduct, saying: “This sexual assault occurred whilst the officer was on duty and where the victim was totally trusting and reliant on him performing his duties professionally, compassionately and with her welfare uppermost in his thoughts.
“It is this most egregious breach of trust of an innocent young child that is most upsetting aspect of this case and something that clearly amounts to an aggravating factor.
“I consider this case to be among the most distressing ever presented to me such is the despicable betrayal of all that is inherent in being a decent police officer.
“I have no hesitation whatsoever in dismissing PC Dempster from the service with immediate effect.”
Detective Chief Superintendent Mike Allen, head of GMP’s Professional Standards Directorate, said: “Dean Dempster is not a police officer, he’s a child sex offender who has no right to be in police uniform or in a position to serve the public.
“We have no time for people like Dempster who should not be in GMP and does not represent us.
“This is why we’re increasingly using accelerated misconduct hearings to root out and boot out officers who are unfit to serve in our uniform, and this work will continue while ever they remain.”
Dempster has been added to the College of Policing Barred List by Chief Constable Stephen Watson, who described Dempster’s actions as ‘morally reprehensible’.
GMP used accelerated proceedings as part of its pledge to ‘root and boot’ officers unfit to serve the public.
The force is now writing to the Deputy Mayor of GM to appeal for Dempster to lose his right to a police pension.
Manchester City reveals details around the first Andy’s Man Club sessions at the Etihad Stadium
Danny Jones
Manchester City have released the first details surrounding their inaugural Andy’s Man Club sessions at the Etihad Campus.
One of the most important charities in the UK when it comes to male mental health and suicide prevention, Andy’s Man Club and even its logo alone have become a recognisable force for good over the past few years, and the significance of bringing it to such a big scale as City cannot be overstated.
The football club first announced the partnership back in February and has already been working closely with the non-profit organisation to promote better wellbeing amongst men, getting first-team stars such as defender John Stones to open up about his own experiences with mental health just last month.
With that in mind, the word is now out that Man City will be providing yet another location for groups to meet and crucially talk through Andy’s Man Club sessions, confirming details around their first meeting from next week onwards.
Set to kick off in the East Stand of the Etihad Stadium from 7-9pm on Monday, 13 May, Man City will not only help deliver a vital outlet for men in the East Manchester area but become just the latest in a long line of teams to back the regular support group.
Joining over 180 clubs nationwide – including the likes of Altrincham FC, Ashton United and Bolton Wanderers, just to name a few in the Greater Manchester area – Andy’s Mans Club is currently helping well over 4,000 men open up and combat their struggles through peer-to-peer sessions.
Founded by a group of nine blokes from Halifax back in 2016 to create positive change in men’s mental health, Andy’s Man Club now helps gather men aged 18 and over across the country every week throughout the year.
In alignment with other partnered clubs Andy’s Man Clubs across the country, attendees will be asked to arrive from 18:30 (UK) ahead of the 19:00 start time.
The sessions are free with registration or ID required and, more importantly, there’s no pressure to talk if you don’t want to. The first step is easy: just listen.
Just because it’s being held at City’s ground doesn’t mean you have to be a season ticket holder, have an official Cityzens membership to attend or anything like that, you can simply arrive via the East Stand reception (Door F) and join the session.
Attendees will be greeted on arrival by trained volunteers from Andy’s Man Club who will guide them through the stadium. With the club now on board, group sessions will be running at the same time every week (except bank holiday Mondays) with the first dates scheduled for the following nights this month:
Monday 13 May
Monday 20 May
Monday 3 June
Monday 10 June
Well done to all those involved in bringing Andy’s Man Club to Manchester City and the East Manchester community. We hope the sessions will help those going along as they have done for thousands of others.