This weekend saw a devastating road traffic collision on the A4 at Derry Hill, near Calne, which tragically resulted in the deaths of four young men from the local area.

Police officers were called to the incident in the early hours of Sunday morning and, along with other emergency services colleagues, dealt with a very difficult and upsetting scene.

An investigation into the cause of the collision is now underway, but our heartfelt condolences go out to the families and friends of the four young people that died.

Their lives will have been torn apart by the news they received on Sunday and, on behalf of everyone at Wiltshire Police, I would like to offer them all our heartfelt condolences during such a sad time.

Such tragic incidents also remind us of the difficult and often harrowing job that our staff and that of the other emergency services do on a daily basis and I am grateful for their ongoing professionalism, compassion and commitment to public service.

Meanwhile, over in Swindon, the local authority is continuing to tackle a worrying rise in cases of Covid19. We are working closely with the council and other partners, providing all the relevant support we can, including having some local police community support officers out speaking to residents and businesses in key parts of the town.

I know from speaking to the counterparts at Swindon Borough Council that the people in the town have been responding positively and understand the importance of the ongoing public health work there.

However, we all continue to have a role to play in ensuring that the virus is contained and the concerning current position does not escalate further.

The message is clear – it is up to every person in Swindon to play their part.

If you think you may have symptoms, no matter how mild they may be, please book a test immediately so you can help keep yourself and others safe.

And if you do test positive then you must make sure you and everyone who lives at your property self-isolates.

As we have seen in other parts of the country, Covid19 has not gone away and we all must do our bit to ensure we do not get to the stage where the Government considers local restrictions.

For more information please visit https://www.swindon.gov.uk/coronavirus