The Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire and Swindon held the first COVID stakeholder briefing.

Angus Macpherson chaired a virtual meeting attended by most of Wiltshire’s MPs and the leaders of the two councils to update them on the police response to the pandemic.

The PCC was joined by Chief Constable Kier Pritchard and reassured the group that Wiltshire Police has the resilience necessary to continue policing the county as usual.

Mr Macpherson said: “This was a productive and engaging first briefing with our key stakeholders in Wiltshire and Swindon.

“I continue to feedback to the chief constable any concerns being raised by the public and I am pleased to say that the force is adapting and modifying its approach as a result.

“Our MPs and council leaders fed back that the public response to the police activity is generally positive and I reported high levels of compliance from people within our communities.

“The feedback from our MPs and council leaders was largely positive and I’m sure they would join me in commending the outstanding work being undertaken by officers, staff and volunteers at such an uncertain time.

“It is crucial that I am able to update them, as elected representatives of our communities, on the steps Wiltshire Police are taking to ensure the essential services they deliver continue. "I am being briefed on a daily basis by the chief constable to ensure I am aware of how our police force is responding to this crisis. This also allows me to ensure the chief constable has the right resources to maintain a good service to our communities.”

The stakeholder briefings will take place each week for the duration of the pandemic.

Plus, all PCCs have a weekly, virtual meeting with the policing minister to ensure a consistent approach in overseeing policing at such an unprecedented time.