Chief Constables from the five North West police constabularies have issued an open letter this morning warning residents will “face the consequences of greater levels of enforcement” should they not comply with national lockdown restrictions.
The statement – signed Greater Manchester Police’s Chief Constable Ian Hopkins, along with CCs from Lancashire Constabulary, Merseyside Police, Cheshire Constabulary, and Cumbria Constabulary – said they would “collectively target” the minority of the public who flout rules by holding large gatherings, music events, parties, and so on.
The senior officers also said they were seeking support from the government and judiciary to consider how they can rapidly bring to justice those who choose to ignore coronavirus (COVID-19)-related fines.
The statement comes ahead of the four-week national lockdown in England – announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson in a direct address to MPs in the House of Commons last Saturday evening – which is due to be voted on in Parliament today and will take effect from 0.01 GMT on Thursday 5th November.
The Chief Constables said they had seen first hand “the misery the pandemic has caused”.
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They said they had received “great support from the majority of our communities” so far, but have sadly seen “a minority right across the North West who seem incapable of demonstrating any civic responsibility and complying with regulations,”.
Awareness of the public’s calls for a “consistent and robust” approach to enforcement was also acknowledged.
The letter also detailed the police forces’ response to the last national lockdown, stating that officers had taken a “very measured” approach to enforcement and used a model of “engage, explain, encourage and only as a last resort, enforce” in relation to issuing Fixed Penalty Notices (FPN).
The statement then went on to urge the public to continue complying with COVID-19 restrictions ahead of the pending national lockdown.
It reads: “We know how hard this is, but we need to maintain that shared purpose we had in the first lockdown to defeat the virus and, ultimately, save lives.”
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“[But] to the minority who feel the restrictions don’t apply to them, be prepared to face the consequences of greater levels of enforcement.
David Dixon / Geograph
“We will collectively target those who flout the restrictions, particularly those organising large gatherings and music events, repeatedly holding parties or deliberately causing harm to our communities by not following the restrictions such as self-isolating where necessary.
“Where we have issued Fixed Penalty notices a significant proportion of recipients think they can ignore them.
“We are therefore seeking support from government and the Judiciary to consider how we bring these people to justice rapidly.”
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For the latest information, guidance and support during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the UK, please do refer to official sources at gov.uk/coronavirus.
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Man had taken ‘at least 20 lines of cocaine’ before killing toddler in tram-van crash
Daisy Jackson
A man has pleaded guilty to killing toddler Louisa (Lulu) Palmisano by dangerous driving, following a horror crash between a tram and a van in February.
The court heard that Rawal Rehman, 36, had taken ‘at least 20 lines of cocaine’ in a seven-hour window leading up to the crash.
On 22 February 2025, shortly before 10am, Rehman’s Mercedes sprinter van failed to stop at a Stop sign and collided with a tram.
His vehicle then mounted the pavement, striking three-year-old Lulu and both her parents who were walking hand-in-hand down Booth Street.
Tragically, Lulu – who her family described as the ‘sweetest, kindest, and most generous little girl’ – suffered fatal injuries.
Several passersby rushed to assist the family, including a junior doctor.
She was taken to hospital but died soon after of her injuries, which included a major head trauma.
Rehman, meanwhile, abandoned his van and left the scene in a taxi, later identified by documents in his vehicle and arrested two days later. He claimed to have panicked when questioned as to why he fled the scene.
He pleaded guilty at Manchester crown court on Tuesday 22 April to causing the death of Lulu by dangerous driving.
The scene of the tram-van crash that killed Lulu. Credit: The Manc Group
Prosecutor Rachel Shenton told Manchester Crown Court that he had visited two massage parlours in the city hours before and that he had taken ‘at least 20 lines of cocaine’ in seven hours.
Abbie Clarke, Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS North West, said: “This was a devastating incident which shocked our community, and our thoughts go out to Lulu’s family who must bear this unimaginable loss.
“Rawal Rehman ignored the stop signs and tram warning signs when he drove straight into the path of an oncoming tram, and it is clear his driving fell far short of what is expected of a competent and careful driver.
“Rehman failed to take responsibility for his actions. He fled the scene in a taxi and denied that he drove dangerously in interview, only accepting responsibility on his third hearing before the court.
“He must now face the consequences for his role in this wholly avoidable tragedy.”
Social media beauty spots and selfies blamed for record rise in mountain rescue callouts
Daisy Jackson
There’s been a record rise in the number of young people needing help from mountain rescue teams – and social media has been blamed for luring unprepared people into potentially dangerous situations.
As well as these viral beauty spots – such as Mam Tor – the rise in call-outs has also been attributed to ‘poor-quality map apps’ which can stop functioning when in areas with poor phone service.
According to an exclusive report in The Guardian, it’s now tourists under the age of 24 who are most likely to need mountain rescue’s assistance while out walking.
The data provided by Ordnance Survey said that the number of call-outs from this age group has almost doubled between 2019 and 2024.
Overall rescues increased by 24% over a similar period.
A spokesman for Mountain Rescue said that young people are drawn to places like the Lake District after seeing images on social media, but are often not dressed or equipped properly for the conditions.
Nick Giles said people are often ‘too reliant on mobile phones’ and unprepared for the changes in weather and terrain that come with hiking.
Mike Park, chief executive of Mountain Rescue England and Wales, told The Guardian: “We know from incident reports that more and more people are tempted into risky locations by Instagram posts and the navigation apps being used aren’t always suitable for an outdoor environment.
“Add to that a tendency to follow popular routes online without knowing the hazards and context, and it’s not surprising that those likely to be relying most on their phones are the ones getting into difficulties.”
Before you head out on any hike or walk, you should make sure you’re prepared and equipped – see Mountain Rescue’s tips HERE.
The Manc -
4th November 2020 
