Piers Corbyn arrested over leaflets comparing UK’s vaccine programme to Auschwitz February 4, 2021 Piers Corbyn, former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s brother, has been arrested for handing out leaflets comparing the nation’s Covid vaccination programme to Auschwitz. The Metropolitan Police told London newspaper Jewish News: “Officers investigating reports of malicious material in the form of a leaflet being circulated in south London in late January have made two arrests. [...]
Best of travel: From Canada to Mexico to find Trump’s legacy February 1, 2021 To tide us over until we’re able to travel again, we’re republishing classic travel stories from our archives. This week we revisit Ashwin Bhandari’s coast-to-coast trip across America to try to understand the Trump phenomenon. ••• The Seattle skyline, with the iconic Space Needle against the backdrop of Mt Rainier, may be familiar from TV [...]
Cop-shop chop-chop sees 31 Met officers handed lockdown fines after barber visit January 26, 2021 A group of 31 Metropolitan Police officers face lockdown fines after having haircuts by a professional barber whilst on duty.
Maskforce: TfL beefs up enforcement of face coverings January 20, 2021 Transport for London (TfL) has hardened its stance against passengers refusing to wear face coverings, after figures released today showed it has handed out almost 2,000 fines for mask-flouters. TfL announced it has expanded its team of enforcement officers to crack down on a “small minority” of the public refusing to comply with social distancing [...]
Priti Patel pledges more police on streets to crack whip on Covid rulebreakers January 12, 2021 The government will place more police on the streets to hand out fines to “irresponsible” people breaking lockdown rules, the home secretary has announced. In a stern warning to the nation, Priti Patel said: “If you do not play your part, our police officers who are out there, risking their own lives everyday to keep [...]
Covid rule-breakers ‘increasingly likely’ to be fined, says police chief January 12, 2021 Those caught breaking Covid rules are now “increasingly likely” to be fined by the police, London’s top officer has said. Metropolitan Police commissioner Cressida Dick said: “Most people are doing the right thing to keep each other safe, but sadly a small minority of people continue to flagrantly ignore the rules, for example by holding [...]
Sainsbury’s to enforce masks and shopping alone in Covid crackdown January 11, 2021 Sainsbury’s has become the second British supermarket to ban customers who refuse to wear a face mask amid a crackdown on Covid rulebreakers. The chain said shoppers will be prevented from entering without a face mask, while shopping in groups will also be banned. Sainsbury’s will put trained security guards at the front of stores [...]
Exclusive: Sadiq Khan rows with London Assembly over police recruitment numbers January 11, 2021 Sadiq Khan has been asked why he is planning to “spend money he does not have” to hire 6,000 new police officers by March, while the Metropolitan Police budget has a projected £1bn black hole over the next three years. The London Assembly’s Budget and Performance Committee has asked the mayor to explain why he [...]
Matt Hancock calls on more businesses to ban those not wearing face coverings January 11, 2021 The health secretary has urged businesses to follow Morrisons’ lead and ban mask flouters, as he refused to rule out tougher restrictions on the horizon. “I applaud the action Morrisons has taken today… That’s the right approach,” Matt Hancock told a Downing Street press briefing, adding: “I want to see all parts of society playing [...]
Morrisons bans mask flouters amid crackdown on Covid rulebreakers January 11, 2021 Morrisons has become the first British supermarket to enforce an immediate ban on customers who refuse to wear face coverings, as the Prime Minister today warned low lockdown compliance would lead to tougher restrictions. From today, shoppers who turn down masks offered by staff will be refused entry from Morrisons unless they are medically exempt. [...]