Chief Constable Michelle Skeer
AN unprecedented appeal from Cumbrian leaders for people to stay local was prompted in part by reports of people flocking to the Lake District to enjoy the scenic winter landscape.
With infection rates across the county - and particularly in Carlisle - soaring, local leaders joined forces to publish an open letter. It urges everybody to save lives by not going for days out.
Lockdown rules mean rule-breakers can be punished with hefty on-the-spot fines.
All of the county's MPs have signed the letter, as well as senior public figures such as Cumbria Tourism boss Gill Haigh, the most senior manager at North Cumbria's two acute hospitals Lyn Simpson, and Chief Constable Michelle Skeer.