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Police forces await details on face covering laws

Police forces in the region say they will have to wait and see how they enforce the new rules on face coverings next week.

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Coverings will be mandatory in shops and supermarkets from next week, but police forces are awaiting the details before officers can be told how they should deal with those who refuse to cover up.

As of July 24, people must have their nose and mouth covered when they go shopping or risk a £100 fine – reduced to £50 if it is paid within 14 days.

It will be up to police to dish out penalties and not business owners or shop workers, although they are being asked to encourage customers to comply.

A spokeswoman for Staffordshire Police said: "We are awaiting full details of the new legislation and guidance on police officers role in enforcement.”

And a spokeswoman for West Midlands Police said: "Once we have full details of the new legislation we will issue police officers with guidance on their role in enforcement."

However the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) said shopkeepers should be expected to manage entry into their stores and compliance with the law while inside.

The Police Federation, representing rank-and-file officers, said it was “unrealistic and unfair” to expect them to patrol the aisles looking for people breaking the coronavirus regulations.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock told MPs: “Should an individual without an exemption refuse to wear a face covering, a shop can refuse them entry and can call the police if people refuse to comply.

“The police have formal enforcement powers and can issue a fine.”

Mr Hancock said face coverings would help give people “more confidence to shop safely” and help protect staff.

They have “suffered disproportionately” during the outbreak, with the death rate of sales and retail staff 75 per cent higher amongst men and 60 per cent higher amongst women than in the general population, he said.

The decision to make face coverings mandatory in England’s shops, with exemptions for children under 11 and people with certain disabilities and breathing conditions, provoked fury in parts of the Conservative Party.

On social media, some grassroots members posted pictures of their cut-up membership cards, while in the Commons former minister Sir Desmond Swayne said “nothing would make me less likely to go shopping than the thought of having to mask up”.

Face coverings are not the same as face masks. The Government has said coverings can be made from scarves, bandanas or other fabric items, as long as they cover the mouth and nose.

There are a few exceptions to the new rules about face coverings in shops – children under 11 and people with certain disabilities and breathing conditions will be exempt.

It adds to the list of places people have to be covered up which currently includes all public transport as well as all hospital visitors and outpatients in England.