Priti Patel vows to snitch on her OWN neighbours if they break ‘Rule of Six’

Priti Patel today vowed to snitch on her own neighbours if they break the draconian new coronavirus ‘Rule of Six’.

The Home Secretary said she would report any behaviour she believed was ‘inappropriate’ and risked spreading the virus.

The comments came as police complained that they have been left in the dark on how to enforce the tough restrictions, with no guidance and widespread anger among the public.

A major row was sparked as the new law came into force, banning ‘mingling’ by groups of more than six people. It bans people from ‘mingling’ in groups of more than six, with those who flout the rules facing thousands of pounds in fines. 

In a round of interviews this morning, Ms Patel was asked if she personally would report her own neighbours.

‘I’m rarely at home but if I saw something that I thought was inappropriate then, quite frankly, I would call the police,’ she told Sky News.

She added: ‘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 if there was a ‘big party taking place’ it would be ‘right to call the police’.

‘Anyone that is effectively defying the rules, they will be helping to spread coronavirus,’ she said.

‘That is not a good thing and obviously we all have a role to play.

‘We’re all taking personal responsibility, we all have to be conscientious to one another.’

However, MPs and police have voiced concerns about the restrictions on civil liberties, and warned that the restrictions are ‘confusing’.

John Apter, national chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, was asked whether “more guidance” was needed as he appeared on ITV’s Good Morning Britain.

he responded: “Maybe we should have ‘guidance’, because we haven’t had any yet.”

Mr Apter said he understood the Government faced a “very fast-moving” and complicated situation.

“But my colleagues who are on the front line trying to interpret this law, trying to educate and work with the public, are now being accused of asking (people) to snitch on their neighbours.”

He also said the community needed to manage its expectations of police in enforcing the new rule.

“We do not have loads of extra police officers. We’re already trying to manage increasing demand. We’re not going to be able to attend every call.”

Under the new regulations, ‘mingling’ in a large group has been banned, with the exception of sports and organised outdoor activities such as hunting. 

Larger gatherings are permitted for work, childcare or political protests. But meeting six friends for a kick about in the park, a picnic or party is illegal.

Rule breakers face fines of £100, rising to a maximum of £3,200 for repeat offenders.

The rules came in yesterday as warm weather swept the country, with Britons flocking in groups to beaches and parks to enjoy temperatures of up to 30C.

But the new regulations state that people must not ‘mingle with any person who is participating in the gathering but is not a member of the same qualifying group as them’. 

They add: ‘Activities where there is a significant likelihood of groups of more than six mingling… should not take place until further Covid-19 secure guidance has been developed and approved to enable the activity to happen safely.

‘This may include extended tour groups, large banquet dinners, society or club meetings, or amateur music or drama rehearsals.’

However, places of worship, gyms, restaurants and hospitality settings can still hold more than six in total, while up to 30 can attend weddings and funerals.

The regulations were published just before midnight on Sunday, moments before they came into effect and without police having time to draft their own guidance.

Policing minister Kit Malthouse said yesterday that rule breakers should be shopped to the authorities.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘We are in discussions about what reporting mechanisms there might be, but there is obviously the non-emergency number that people can ring and report issues they wish to.’

When pressed on whether that would involve reporting a gathering of seven or more in a neighbour’s garden, Mr Malthouse said: ‘It is open to neighbours to do exactly that through the non-emergency number, and if they are concerned and they do see that kind of thing, then absolutely they should think about it.’

He revealed he cancelled his own child’s birthday party to avoid breaking the rules.

He added: ‘Police officers will obviously assess the situation in front of them but in the end we all have an individual duty towards our collective health and we hope that view will prevail.

‘Police should start by encouraging people to comply and explaining to them what the situation is and impressing upon them the duty they have to our collective health. Only in the situation where individuals refuse to comply should police consider moving towards enforcement.’

No10 sparked further confusion by suggesting that police would not immediately start imposing fines on those who break the rules the first time.

Ken Marsh, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation which represents rank-and-file officers, said: ‘If this was so important why did Boris Johnson wait to bring this rule of six in?

‘People have been going out drinking, meeting their friends potentially spreading the virus, essentially doing what they want over the weekend because they knew it wasn’t coming in until the next week.’

He predicted police would be distracted from frontline duties such as fighting knife crime, saying: ‘We have not got a never ending pot of officers, they will be distracted by curtain twitchers – people phoning up saying I’ve seen seven people in next door’s garden.’

Mr Marsh said the new rules were a ‘perfect storm’ for police amid a rise in crime levels and protests. 

Police are also concerned about enforcing different rules in Wales and Scotland, where under-12s are exempt from the crackdown.

Groups of up to 30 can still gather outdoors in Wales as long as they maintain social distancing.