POLICE gave out 18 fines and recorded nine crimes linked to the lockdown in Wiltshire but made no arrests for the second week in a row.

The force saw a substantial drop in the number of coronavirus-related logs being created in the control room, which fell to 454 compared to the previous week's 812.

Between May 11 and 17, Wiltshire Police recorded 33 incidents linked to Covid-19 compared to 38 the week before, nine crimes linked to it compared to 16 the week before.

Officers issued 18 fixed penalty notices compared to 15 the week before, and made no arrests.

Deputy Chief Constable Paul Mills said: “We continue to be grateful to the vast majority of our communities who are adhering to the government guidance and would like to thank the public for their part in helping to keep us all safe.

“Following the changes to the government guidance on May 13, we can now all enjoy more freedom outdoors thanks to our collective efforts so far but we all need to continue to act responsibly and within the boundaries of the current guidance.

“The fact we have not made a single arrest for breaches to the legislation in two weeks reinforces our commitment that we will focus on engaging with our communities first and foremost and only use enforcement as a last resort.

“I would like to thank the public for playing their part in working to keep us all safe.

“We continue to adopt an approach of policing with consent, but equally - as the public would expect - will use our powers if we come across flagrant and significant breaches of the law that create a risk to the wider communities safety.

“As we head into another bank holiday, I would urge everyone to continue adhering to the guidance and taking personal responsibility for any actions you take.

“Officers, including special constables, will be out and about once again this weekend – they are there to help keep you safe and I am grateful to them all for their continued work during such unprecedented times.”

Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire and Swindon Jerry Herbert said: “These latest figures provide further reassurance that frontline officers are using engagement as their main tool when interacting with our communities.

“Although the government has relaxed some elements of the guidance, it is important to remember that we all still have a role to play in slowing the spread of this virus and saving lives.

“I would ask that everyone takes the time to look at the revised guidance to ensure they are continuing to do what is expected – particularly over a sunny bank holiday weekend.

“On behalf of the Police and Crime Commissioner, I would like to thank our communities in Wiltshire and Swindon for continuing to display restraint and compliance with the very latest government guidance.”

The latest guidance can be found at www.gov.uk