We're These Women Out Of Order

[piggynose]

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/amp/uk-england-derbyshire-55560814

[woofgang]

as I understand it they had to drive to where they were going to walk. To me that's not local.

[aelmpvw]

seems a tad heavy handed but i don't see why they couldn't walk round the block for exercise like i do . . .

[burlyshirley]

Not in my opinion NO and why so many flamin' police ?? The real criminals must be laughing their heads off and getting away with everything ...

[Old_Geezer]

The officers seemed unprofessional and unable to practice good judgement. Suggest we all go for a picnic.

[Atheist]

I see a human rights barrister has spoken in their favour. Must cause mixed feelings for some here.

[TonyV]

Police over using their rights. Most advice is to get out and exercise and some fresh air, just self distancing

[bednobs]

i think its fairly clear even from what they say they were meeting up for a coffee and a gossip

[TonyV]

Yes Bednobs but you can do that from 2 metres apart.

[diddlydo]

A ridiculous response by the police - not even just jobsworths but clearly lacking in commonsense. To me, driving 5 miles is local, especially if you live in a town or city where I'm told local parks are crowded. As for being told that carrying a drink is "having a picnic" - words fail me.

[Sunk]

// Derbyshire Police said: "It is up to each individual officer on a case-by-case basis to decide what is reasonable as the legislation does not proscribe a distance." //

Is that how the law works nowadays? If there is nothing in law the police can just make it up on the spot?

[woofgang]

oh good

[dannyk13]

OTT.

[New Judge]

No they were not out of order. The police were.

//Guidance for the current lockdown says people can travel for exercise as long as it is in their "local area".//

The guidance may well say that. The legislation doesn't. The guidance also says you should exercise only once a day. Again the legislation doesn't

//The police force involved, Derbyshire Police, said driving for exercise was "not in the spirit" of lockdown.//

The police are not there to impose the "spirit of the lockdown" (whatever they mean by that). They are there to impose the letter of the law, and here's the letter (which explains the "reasonable excuse" for leaving home that is acceptable as far as exercise goes):

to take exercise outside—
(i) alone,
(ii) with—
(aa) one or more members of their household, their linked household, or
(bb) where exercise is being taken as part of providing informal childcare
for a child aged 13 or under, one or more members of their linked
childcare household, or
(iii) in a public outdoor place, with one other person who is not a member of their household, their linked household or their linked childcare household.

It says nothing about staying local; it says nothing about not driving to get there; it says nothing about not having a coffee whilst you're exercising. If the government wants the police to start chucking £200 fines around they need to tighten the legislation so that they can lawfully do so. The two women should have declined their kind offer of a Fixed Penalty and let the matter be heard in court.

[douglas9401]

Unusual to have all the idiots attend one incident.
There are usually a couple of sensible peace officers to keep their doltish colleagues in check.
Maybe they were all dealing with actual crime elsewhere.

[pixie374]

//"spirit of the lockdown"//
That's a daft phrase, when people can get off serious crimes due to technicalities. If that's what they want the law to be, then that is what it needs to say.
People shouldn't have to guess.

[margarettom]

There are plenty of nice places to walk near Ashby. Seems an unnecessary journey to me.

[New Judge]

//Seems an unnecessary journey to me.//

And where does the law mention "unnecessary journeys"?

[drmorgans]

NewJudge: I have a dog and take her out a couple of times a day for exercise, ablutions etc. (the dog not me). If an over-zealous policeman says I can't, then I can legitimately say "Yes, I can"?

[Stickybottle]

The Police ought to have given them leeway because after all, they’re both blonde.

[New Judge]

Just ask them to show you where it says you can't, dr. The "guidance" is all very well and makes sense for those who can reasonably comply. But if your dog needs walkies more than once a day (as most dogs do) then I cannot see a court convicting you of taking exercise more than once. This "guidance" really concerns me because we have police officers acting as if it is written in law. They really need to be challenged because that is not the way the law works here. Meanwhile they can get round to some of the dozen or so footballers I saw photographs of over New Year, happily holding their NYE parties which is clearly contrary to the law.