MORE fines for coronavirus breaches have been given out in Herefordshire than in any other area of West Mercia Police s force area, a report has revealed. Within the five areas of West Mercia, 869 coronavirus-related fixed penalty notices were handed out between September 24 and January 1. Of those, 270 fixed penalty notices (FPNs) were handed out in Herefordshire. Telford and Wrekin was second, with 221, followed by 154 in South Worcestershire, 131 in North Worcestershire and 93 in Shropshire. The figures were revealed in a report to the Police and Crime Panel, which met on Friday. The report said: Herefordshire and Telford and Wrekin have issued the greatest raw numbers of FPNs within West Mercia, as well as the highest rates of FPNs per 100k people after accounting for population size.
Since September 2020 there has been an increase in reported incidents within South Worcestershire. Sergeant Simon Hallam from South Worcestershire’s Problem Solving Hub said: This is an increasing problem nationally due to the value of these converters increasing. This is why we are offering property marking kits on a first come first serve basis for residents in South Worcestershire in order to protect their vehicles. “As a force we are taking further measures to prevent these crimes from happening and have increased our overnight patrols in all areas across South Worcestershire.If any suspicious activity is observed please ensure that Police are contacted in order that a quick and appropriate response can occur.”
A PERSHORE pensioner has called for better local information on Covid-19 vaccines after being directed to Birmingham for his jab by the NHS website. Alan Ellis, 83, has since been offered the inoculation at Abbottswood Medical Centre in Pershore but only having been left concerned over having to make a 40-mile round trip. Some vaccinations have been taking place there with other Pershore residents asked to go to Upton-upon-Severn. Mr Ellis said he had found the experience off-putting but his main concern centres around elderly people without digital skills feeling left in the dark I had a letter from the NHS, not Abbotswood, and when I went online it kept trying to fob me off with a place in Birmingham, he explained.
POLICE in Worcester have stepped up patrols in the city s supermarkets this week to make sure shoppers are Covid-compliant. A post on the South Worcestershire police Twitter account said: All of Worcester’s major supermarkets have been visited today and will continue to be visited regularly. General compliance is high so thanks for that, however a gentle reminder to ensure your nose as well as your mouth is covered unless you are exempt. This comes after major supermarkets including Morrisons, Tesco and Asda said they would take a tougher stance on customers who refuse to wear a face covering without a medical exemption, and will bar customers who refuse to wear one.
FINES: West Mercia Police has been responsible for handing out more than a fifth of all face mask fines in England and Wales THE region s police force has been responsible for handing out more than a fifth of all fines for not wearing a face mask. West Mercia Police issued 196 fines to rule breakers - more than a fifth of the 952 fines issued by all of the forces across England and Wales. Figures provided by the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) revealed 748 fines were issued by West Mercia Police, the force responsible for Worcestershire, for breaches of coronavirus restrictions between March 27 and December 20.