Romsey leaders condemn five people slapped with Covid fines

In a Facebook post, Test Valley Cops said they stopped drivers in West Tytherley and Timsbury for breaking Covid rules on Sunday night (February 21).

The force was patrolling the borough in a bid to tackle rural theft and burglaries.

Community leaders were frustrated to hear some people were still breaking lockdown rules after the UK has been forced to endure restrictions for nearly a year.

Borough and town councillor Dorothy Baverstock said: “It is just sticking two fingers up to the rules, because these people think they can get away with it.

“It is not fair, because at the end of the day I don’t want to become a victim of Covid or spread it on and I think these people are totally selfish.

“Some of us have been incarcerated for nearly a year now, because we are vulnerable.”

Cllr Baverstock added railing against lockdown rules is short-sighted, stressing it could mean England is under tighter restrictions for longer if infection rates don’t drop quickly enough.

She explained: “It is not a given these restrictions will be eased quickly so people must use their common sense.

“We have now had the roadmap set out to us for the next few months and I would like everybody to adhere to the rules, so we can have these restrictions eased in the future.”

Councillor Nik Daas, who represents Romsey Abbey on Test Valley Borough Council, said the last thing police officers want to do is to spend their time dishing out Covid fines.

He explained: “This is the last thing the police want to do and I know Inspector Chris Taylor wants to focus on protecting local residents and our businesses from other problems.

“I can understand the need to go out and it is a difficult time, but at the end of the day we are still in lockdown and rules are rules.

“We need to get through the next couple of months safely and when we have got through that period of time I will be encouraging as many people as possible to go out again.”