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 named and charged with ‘brutal’ murder at Peak District stone circle on summer solstice
Emily Sergeant
A man has been formally named as he’s charged with murder after a man’s life was taken in ‘the most brutal way’ following a summer solstice event.
He has been named as Szymon Babynko – a 23-year-old Polish national who now lives in London.
Babynko was named as part of an ongoing investigation, which was launched after Derbyshire Police were called to reports of a man’s body being found at Nine Ladies Stone Circle in the Peak District at 1:38pm on Monday 22 June, and when emergency services attended the scene, a 26-year-old man was found and pronounced dead.
The man was identified as Isaac Clare-Watts, from Nottingham, with police assuring his family are being supported by specialist officers.
Babynko was arrested on Thursday 25 June in connection with the incident, before being charged with murder today (29 June).
He has also been charged with attempted murder in relation to another incident on Hady Lane in Chesterfield on Thursday 25 June, the same day he was arrested.
Investigators say they still remain ‘keen’ to hear from anyone who was at the stone circle site over the weekend – which was notably the weekend of the summer solstice – as well as anyone with video footage from the event, and dashcam footage of vehicles arriving and leaving over the weekend.
A Major Incident Public Portal (MIPP) has been set up where members of the public can send information to police directly.
Babynko has been remanded in custody and is due to appear at Derby Magistrates Court this week, with more updates on the case to follow.
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
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Man jailed after violently assaulting two female police officers at Manchester Airport
Emily Sergeant
A man who assaulted two female police officers at Manchester Airport in a high-profile case back in 2024 has now been jailed.
PCs Lydia Ward and Ellie Cook – who each have eight years of experience and service at Greater Manchester Police (GMP) – were part of a team of officers based at Manchester Airport who responded to a report of a headbutt in Terminal 2 on the evening of 23 July 2024.
When officers went to arrest the man, named as 21-year-old Mohammed Fahir Amaaz from Rochdale, he initially resisted before turning and attacking police.
During the shocking incident, PC Ward – an unarmed officer – suffered a broken nose after being subjected to actual bodily harm by Amaaz, while PC Cook, who was armed, suffered an injured jaw after being assaulted.
Many may remember that a short clip of the incident – which was recorded by a bystander – went viral after it was uploaded to social media without any wider context, leading to the officers involved becoming subjected to online abuse and condemnation.
A CCTV image of the brawl in action / Credit: CPS
PC Ward described the whole situation as ‘so confusing’.
“I have never seen anyone so violent,” she added in a victim impact statement. “I have never been so scared. It was utterly terrifying.”
PC Cook explained that she was left ‘traumatised by the incident’, adding: “I hate that we were judged by everyone. We were just doing a job – we were trying to protect the public.”
Last week (Friday 26 June), Amaaz appeared at Liverpool Crown Court where he has sentenced to three and a half years in jail for his role in the incident.
Speaking on the sentencing, GMP’s Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson commented: “This incident began after a man was headbutted in a public place in front of his family.
“Our officers were responding quickly to precisely the sort of outrageous criminal behaviour that rightly offends the public. In undertaking their duties, officers were met with resistance and violence, followed by online vilification, condemnation and adverse commentary from those who did not have the full facts.
Read more:
Rochdale man, 20, found guilty of assaulting police officers at Manchester Airport
“It is vital that officers get the respect and support they deserve for routinely putting themselves in harm’s way to protect the public.
“Assaults on police officers are sadly all too common – 35 of my officers are assaulted every week across GM – and such incidents can never be justified.”
The Manc -
4th November 2020 
