Coronavirus: Police respond to viral video showing residents enjoying warm weather in Peterborough city centre

Police have been on patrol in Peterborough city centre today (Saturday), a day after a viral video showed residents enjoying the warm weather.
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Plenty of people made the most of the sunshine on Friday to take a stroll or bike ride down Long Causeway, with some covering their faces in masks due to fears of catching the coronavirus.

Residents are allowed to shop and carry out one form of exercise every day, but the numbers in the city centre would have made it difficult for people to keep to social distancing rules of staying at least two metres apart from others.

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The Government has advised people to not travel unnecessarily to carry out their daily exercise and instead try to keep close to home.

Footage of the people taking to Long Causeway was captured yesterday, and at one stage during the video a police car even drives through.

The video has been shared extensively online, prompting a Cambridgeshire police Twitter account to tweet this afternoon: “You may have seen photos in the news of a busy #Peterborough city centre. This is the city centre this morning. We’re continuing our patrols across the county, but enforcement is a last resort. Please continue to #StayHomeSaveLives Thumbs up #SaturdayThoughts #HelpUsHelpYou #SaferCambs.”

The tweet was accompanied with photos of Cathedral Square, the cathedral and the back of the Town Hall looking empty.

It is not said what time the photos were taken.

The Peterborough Telegraph revealed today that Cambridgeshire police have arrested three people for breaching social distancing rules and handed out 59 fines, with less than 10 in Peterborough.