Priti Patel’s neighbours say they WON’T snitch on locals breaking the Covid ‘Rule of Six’

Priti Patel’s neighbours were split today over her vow to snitch on them for flouting the government’s new draconian Covid ‘Rule of Six’.

The Home Secretary wants to turn us into a nation of narks and said she would report any behaviour she believed was ‘inappropriate’ and risked spreading the virus.

But some residents living down her road in Bexley, South East London, said it’s better to go and have a quiet word with your neighbour than curtain-twitchers phoning the council to ‘grass them up’ for breaking the restrictions.

Steve Elmes, 52, a university lecturer who lives a few doors down from the family home Priti shares with her lawyer husband Alex Sawyer, said: ‘As Home Secretary, Priti Patel would have no choice but to inform the authorities if she caught anyone breaking the rules. I get that.

‘Part of me feels a moral obligation to do the same but I’m not about Big Brother or government or snitching on people. 

‘I’m not one for phoning the council or police. ‘I’d probably go and speak to my neighbour in a calm and measured way if I caught them out.’

Paul Veal, 50, a carer, said he would keep an eye on his neighbours but would not go to the authorities. 

He said: ‘If I saw one of my neighbours with more than six of their relatives I’d probably go round and have a word with them later and explain that I didn’t agree with what they’re doing. 

‘But I come from a background where you don’t grass on people so for me it would be a quiet word and I wouldn’t go to the police like Priti Patel. 

‘While I don’t agree with the new rule – how can it be right that I can’t meet up with more than six family or friends yet can sit in a pub all day with a load of strangers – I kind of understand where the government is coming from, they just need to be clearer.’

 Tim Pooley, 57, agreed and said: ‘Would I snoop on my neighbours and inform the police if I caught them breaking this Rule of Six? Probably not, it’s not really my style.

‘I wouldn’t break the rule myself but if I did, Ms Patel has every right to alert the relevant authorities. You’d expect her to do so given her job.

‘I think the regulations do need to be looked at, however, because to me they don’t seem to add up.

‘ I’m going out this evening to a restaurant and bar where there will be more than just six people and they’ll probably be strangers of whom I know nothing about.

‘Yet at the same time I can’t see more than six family members or close friends who I’m fairly confident do not have the virus.‘

 Ms Patel irritated critics by insisting that two families meeting by chance in the street and stopping to chat would constitute ‘mingling’ and breach the law.

Speaking to Sky News this morning Ms Patel said: ‘I’m rarely at home but if I saw something that I thought was inappropriate then, quite frankly, I would call the police

‘It’s not dobbing in neighbours, it’s all about us taking personal responsibility.’ 

Ms Patel said it was a ‘personal choice’ on whether to report breaches but some residents living near her terraced home said they would do the same. 

Paula Hall-Strutt, 50, who works in accounts said: ‘She is the Home Secretary so you’d expect her to do that and I would probably do the same – especially if the household had elderly relatives or if people were gathering in really big numbers.

‘My mum is 91-years-old and is particularly vulnerable to this virus so I fully understand why these restrictions have been put in place. 

‘It’s important that we do all we can to try and get hold of it. 

‘I think people around here use common sense and I don’t think anyone will break the Rule of Six. 

‘I won’t be as I don’t really see that many people. My son has had friends round but he’s been very sensible about it.’ 

Frances Owen, 66, agreed and said: ‘If one of my neighbours had a big party and invited lots of people then I’d not hesitate to do the same as Priti Patel and I’d contact the police or council in a flash. 

‘I know the new restrictions the government have brought in have caused a lot of upset and controversy but I believe we need to be as careful as we can. 

‘It seems that at the moment it’s a lot of youngsters being quite blasé about Covid and it’s the older people who are going to suffer as a result and I don’t think it’s right.

‘So I have no problem with Priti Patel saying she’d snitch on us – I’d do the same.’

Lauren Hawney, 39, who works at a cafe at the end of Priti Patel’s street said: ‘I don’t think it’s right snitching on your own neighbours, I certainly wouldn’t do it to mine. 

‘If a party of more than six people came in to the cafe, we wouldn’t ask them to leave but probably would seat them at different tables. 

‘Personally I think this new rule of six is ridiculous because you can get on a train with about 30 or so people many of whom don’t have masks and sit in a pub with about 40 or 50 strangers yet you can’t meet up with more than six members of your own family. 

‘I wouldn’t feel comfortable snooping on families living on my street and I’m not particularly pleased that Priti Patel has said that she would.’   

Julie Cutts, 54, a carer said: ‘I’m tested for Covid every week because I work with elderly residents who are most at risk from this virus so I know what the government are trying to do.

‘Its just that their rules don’t seem to make much sense. You can go to a wedding with 30 family and friends but then not meet up with more than six anywhere else – except maybe a grouse hunt!

‘That said, I don’t have an issue with Priti Patel snitching to the police on anyone who does break the regulations because we all need to be doing everything possible to try and eradicate this virus.

‘And I’d do the same to her, however unlikely it may be because she’s the Home Secretary. Rules are rules.’

 

Faisal Aziz, 51, said: ‘I’ve a 10-year-old daughter whose had a fever for the last two days and we are due to have a covid test later today. 

‘So I agree with Priti Patel that we should all take responsibility and follow the rules. 

‘I have no problem with her calling the police if I or any other neighbour had more than six people over. 

‘However unlikely it is to happen, I’d do the same and call the police on her and her husband if they broke the rules.’ 

Following the Home Secretary’s strict measures MPs and police voiced their concerns about the restrictions being placed on the nation’s civil liberties.   

When asked if ‘more guidance’ was needed during an appearance on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, John Apter, national chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said: ‘Maybe we should have ‘guidance’, because we haven’t had any yet.’  

Under the new regulations, which were published just before midnight on Sunday, ‘mingling’ in a large group is banned however larger gatherings are permitted for work, childcare or political protests. 

Recreational sports, including five-a-side football, cricket, rugby and park runs, can also continue provided people follow the correct protocol.

Those who breach the guidelines could face fines of £100, rising to a maximum of £3,200 for repeat offenders.