Scathing attack by ex chief constable of Durham but very good too.
How many thousands of people are thinking they have Coronavirus? And what happens if they all jump in their cars and drive hundreds of miles?
“Let’s remember where we were going back to the end of March here.
“London was highly infected, Durham was not, the number of cases there was very low.
“Since then Durham has become the fifth worst area of the country for infection.
“This dreadful disease has transferred to Durham, it has been transmitted by people.
“I am not accusing the Cummings family of that but clearly it has been transmitted, and clearly as a result of that, hundreds of people in Durham have died.
“We have to make clear that people in Government who make the rules do not break the rules - they have to lead by example.
“It is going to be really difficult now for police officers to apply them, even though Mr Cummings does not seem to understand them.
“But it is really important we persuade people to keep to the rules, rather than prosecute them.”
Mr Barton, who retired as chief constable last year after 40 years’ service, added: “It is specious nonsense to say he was protecting his child.
“If everybody takes the privileged, selfish view that ‘my children come first’ - well, no they don’t.
“This is about working together to protect the vulnerable. If anyone with coronavirus thinks they can get in a car and drive 250 miles, the length of the country, in what world is that sane?”
How many thousands of people are thinking they have Coronavirus? And what happens if they all jump in their cars and drive hundreds of miles?
“Let’s remember where we were going back to the end of March here.
“London was highly infected, Durham was not, the number of cases there was very low.
“Since then Durham has become the fifth worst area of the country for infection.
“This dreadful disease has transferred to Durham, it has been transmitted by people.
“I am not accusing the Cummings family of that but clearly it has been transmitted, and clearly as a result of that, hundreds of people in Durham have died.
“We have to make clear that people in Government who make the rules do not break the rules - they have to lead by example.
“It is going to be really difficult now for police officers to apply them, even though Mr Cummings does not seem to understand them.
“But it is really important we persuade people to keep to the rules, rather than prosecute them.”
Mr Barton, who retired as chief constable last year after 40 years’ service, added: “It is specious nonsense to say he was protecting his child.
“If everybody takes the privileged, selfish view that ‘my children come first’ - well, no they don’t.
“This is about working together to protect the vulnerable. If anyone with coronavirus thinks they can get in a car and drive 250 miles, the length of the country, in what world is that sane?”
