A family who had driven from London to Broadstairs for an outing on the beach today (April 10) have been escorted back onto the London-bound route by Thanet police.
Officers came across the group at 2pm while carrying out beach patrols.
Officers will continue to monitor isle beaches throughout the bank holiday weekend.
In a social media post from Thanet officers it says: “Thanet LPT 3 conducted beach patrols this afternoon at 2pm. If you look in the picture of Joss Bay you can see a group gathered on the slope.
“They were spoken to. A car full of the same family from London! After our brief interaction they got back in their car.
“They were escorted onto (the road) back to London. Please be rest assured we will continue to monitor the beaches for gatherings all through the weekend.”
Thanet LPT 3 conducted beach patrols this afternoon at 14:00. If you look in the picture of Joss Bay you can see a group gathered on the slope. They were spoken to. A car full of the same family from London!. After our brief interaction they got back in their car (1/2) pic.twitter.com/L4Myq3oIMD
— Kent Police Thanet (@KentPoliceThan) April 10, 2020
Kent Police officers can use enforcement action introduced by the Government in response to the Covid-19 pandemic against those who refuse to comply.
A Kent Police spokesman confirmed: “Officers patrolling Joss Bay spoke to a group of people who had travelled to the coast by car. They were not from the area and were reminded of their personal responsibilities in relation to the Government’s instructions around essential travel. The group immediately left to return home.”
As of Thursday,April 9, a total of nine people have been issued with fines under the Coronavirus Act. One of the fines was issued to a woman in Ramsgate.
People should only leave their home for the following very limited purposes:
- shopping for basic necessities, as infrequently as possible
- one form of exercise a day – for example a run, walk, or cycle – alone or with members of your household;
- any medical need, to provide care or to help a vulnerable person; and
- travelling to and from work, but only where this is absolutely necessary and cannot be done from home.
Total and utter idiots…. What part of stay at home did they not understand???
It beggars belief that people still don’t understand how dangerous this pandemic is! Well done Kent Police.
If we were told stay indoors a serial killer is on the loose. Wouldn’t we! It’s just as dangerous and worse, as it’s something that we can’t actually see.
Now the police have cleared a few people off an empty beach, maybe they can pop to Athelstan road and clear the groups that gather there.
They won’t, of course. Too much like hassle for an Easter weekend.
Macawber +1
Wake up Thanet, Kent, England. Stop being racist. Stop hating immigrants and start trying to understand people more.
If you think “the immigrants” don’t understand the current situation because they do not speak English You’re wrong. This is a world wide issue and conversed in many languages around the world.
They may not be as rich as you, and have a back garden, or front garden, or roof terrace to sip their negroni, beer or glass of wine from in private outside surroundings.
They may only have the steps leading from their doors to the pavement, and may hang there to get some fresh air.
So stop being such smug closet racists and be understanding. Have some fucking compassion. And if it bothers you that much, change your ways. The anger is yours. Not theirs. Work on yourself. Don’t be racist.
I have cone to your comment in a rather convoluted fashion. Yours us the first comment that I can see that makes any mention of ethnicity !!! As for how having a garden equates to sipping Negroni completely eludes me. I know plenty of people who have gardens and an equal number who dont; none that sip Negroni. The anger is not mine ( or ours LOL – if you can lump people together then so can I !!).The anger would appear to be yours . The prejudice, which is a two way street, also yours.
Macowber + 2
Macawber +3
Agreed Macawber. If the police intervened, some snowflakes will bring out the racist card for sure.
yeah I took photos on my camera of athelstan road yesterday and they were all sitting on the wall like pidgeons and the car wash was open
waiting for a bus to go to the greengrocers as aldi are out of veg and salad the police car drove past me at the bus stop and past the car wash and athelstan road gatherings like they did not care.
We should certainly close the borders now. Yet the government is facilitating the repatriation of Britons from abroad. Will they all be tested and quarantined when they arrive?
Keith Nazer has clearly never been treated by medical staff who were not British.
No need to make vile comments
I think the police are too scared to head down Athelstan Road and do proper policing. I imagine it’s much easier And a lot nicer for them to hang about on the beaches in Broadstairs instead.
That’s not the case at all. I have seen numerous police down Athelstan Road over the past few days.
Doing nothing to improve the situation though unfortunately
Total idiots should have received a huge fine to teach them a lesson!
People understand very well. They just don’t give a shit because the punishment isn’t severe enough.
They shouldn’t have been able to reach that beach in The first place. Road block the slip roads and cause absolute traffic mayhem. That’ll make Them think twice about it next weekend.
Utter scum.
All the beaches and car parks need what gates and barriers there are locked. Where are the Foreshore staff to do this and save issues arrising? TDC come on now get your a… into gear, you are always so slow to act. Signs up turning people away should be mandatory now along with padlocked access.
Some people just do not get it, do they. Firm action is the only way to teach these entitleds.
Some people are unbelievable, honestly dont they understand what this pandemic can do, the fines need to be trebled at least straight away, and all the money raised by these fines should go to the NHS
They need to stay in not sit outside there houses chatting fine them and remind them how serious this virus is ????
I don’t think they’ll bother to pay any fines anyway so waste of time. I was walking my dog best there the other day and there were 4 stood right in my path grinning so I crossed the road
They can sit out side their houses, as long as it’s in their gardens / entrance
Wat is the matter with the police they have the power so why don’t they use it – if we who live here can’t go out then these people who don’t shouldn’t be here at this time – the police r too soft and should lock them up and fine them heavily that will make them think bfore they do it again we have people dying on our doorstep how do we know that it’s not because of idiots like them who could have passed the virus on !
It ispeople like them that are flouting the regulations that are causing others to become ill and die. The chief of Kent police is too soft and has informed his officers to guide people back home and only issue fines as a last resort! With how serious this disease is and how many it has killed he should be doing his best to stop people being out unecessarily. Looking out on Northdown Road in Cliftonville today, it looks like any other busy day when everyone should be at home. Police are just driving past as usual. Travellers are driving in and parking up at all the usual spots. It’s unbelievable and madness. I hope the NHS will cope with all these nutters out.
I hope the police are being issued with proper PPE
I do meals on wheels and we are having to buy are own as company won’t provide it and we are going into the houses off Vulnerable people .
The permitted fines are derogatory £60 quid is just like a small motorway toll. Should be £1000 the Police would be better employed stopping people at the St Nich. roundabout. Simple matter to check where a car is registered via the DVLA check. Any car registered to a London address could be turned round 95% of Thanet visitors will come down the Thanet way
Just London addresses? Not Manchester or Portsmouth or Leeds or Cambridge?
Wouldn’t it make mire sense to turn round *every* vehicle that was not registered in Thanet, unless the driver had a very good reason to be here?
Good point but it would counterproductive in finding them large amounts of money because many jobs have come to an end now so they won’t have the money to pay the fines anyway. As regards locking them up is concerned if they have the virus, they could be passing on to fellow inmates and staff so I don’t know what the answer is. I agree the police need to be doing something but the Athelstan Road needs to be top of their list first. Good points raised though.?
I would like to say thank you to the immigrant doctos and nurses who are holding up our NHS. Do not demonise all immigrants Keith
Exactly this. They would be the first to complain if there was a severe shortage of doctors.
As chairperson of ARTRA for 2019/2020 – Athelstan Road Tenants & Residents’ Association – I’m obliged to set the record straight on those members of our community who are not respecting the government lockdown on Athelstan Road. Those hanging out & not staying at home are from all demographics – there are as many White British members of the community outside on the street, as there are of any other demographic. It is inaccurate to characterise those breaking the lockdown as being from any particular group, or background & the law doesn’t appear to be being applied to anyone at all, as everyone who broke the lockdown on day one, from all demographics, are still doing it – no fear whatsoever of any legal consequences – cautions, fines, summonses etc. The police are very well aware of the behaviour on Athelstan Road & have been repeatedly asked to take matters in hand, for the health, safety & wellbeing of all those breaking the lockdown, as well as everyone else. Our MP Craig Macinlay, plus all ward & county councillors have been repeatedly informed of the public health time bomb that this behaviour on Athelstan Road represents & no authority, or agency, or individual concerned with the community can claim they aren’t perfectly well aware of just how extremely serious the situation is. ARTRA are still in communication with the police, on behalf of all members of our community & very much hope that enforcement of the law results in lockdown being respected ASAP, as a ‘softly, softly’ approach is evidently having absolutely no positive end result – this observation has been repeatedly attested to, to all the authorities.
Here here.
Maybe they should also face the cameras on margate beachfront onto the beach aswell instead of watching the roads constantly…. saw 3 police cars go past the beach and did nothing while people say on the beach yesterday and one cheeky git was flying a kite on the beach… seems like it’s business as usual in most of thanet and those of us who take precaution and follow the rules and wear face masks are ridiculed and bullied
Can the police and TDC now go and escort the travellers who have just turned up in their caravans in Thanet back onto the A28 towards London. Why do they not get the same treatment as anyone else who comes down during the lockdown???TDC you are taking the p… and encouraging these travellers by not putting up signs like other seaside towns telling people to turn round and go back as they are not welcome to possibly bring the covid-19 virus to us all. The NHS is already under pressure! Use your powers in turning people back because of the crises. They shouldn’t be moving about at this time.
all these comments to say people are stupid for breaking the lockdown..
– the lockdown isn’t working when airports are still open and we all go to the shops and inevitably get quite close to people.
– People in a small group being on the beach is no risk to anyone but themselves, as if they were in their own living room together.
we have to challenge the nonsense the government is telling us, its clearly not working and for 90% of people the lockdown is just destroying jobs