POLITICIANS and community activists across the county have come together to publicly back the county’s police force as they encourage and enforce new social distancing rules.

All over the UK, police officers now face the unenviable task of ensuring that people stick to the government’s unprecedented crackdown on public gatherings and non-essential travel. Experts say staying at home will save lives by easing pressure on frontline NHS staff to treat the most seriously ill Covid-19 patients.

In a letter signed by almost 30 community figures – from across the political spectrum – Cumbria county councillor Tony Lywood and civic activist Gerard Richardson MBE said police officers should be fully supported as they work within these ‘temporary’ measures.

Their letter states: “The Metropolitan Police Federation Chairman has expressed concerns in the press that the reputation of the police could be damaged by the necessary enforcement of measures to combat Covid 19.

“While we understand his concerns because policing in the UK is as he says, by consent, we don’t think they have anything to worry about. The vast majority of people in the UK will respect the police enough to not put them in the position of having to enforce the rules.

“It’s important the police know the community are right behind them and that we understand that they are trying their best to save lives and to ease the pressure on the NHS.

“This is an extraordinary crisis and the measures that have cross-party support in Parliament are essential and temporary and we stand solidly behind all our emergency services in this difficult time.”

The other signatories included the Rt Hon Hazel Blears, a former policing minister; Copeland MP Trudy Harrison; Mike Starkie, Mayor of Copeland; Brian O Kane, Mayor of Whitehaven Town Council; Paul Turner, Gosforth Parish Council; Angela Dixon, Mayor of Millom; Graham Calvin, Egremont; Mike Hawkins, Cumbria County Council; Linda Jones Bulman, Copeland Borough Council; Mike McVeigh, Leader of Copeland Labour; Jean Murray, Chair Copeland Labour Party; and Karl Connor, deputy leader Copeland Labour Party.