'Thank you for being responsible': Senior police officer praises public and the positive measures by businesses to keep people safe

Steve Andrews, the manager of the Hildreds Centre in Skegness, has thanked everyone for their support since shops reopened on Monday - and for acting responsibly.

Monday saw hundreds of visitors return to the coast, with caravan parks, non-essential shops, pubs, hairdressers, wildlife parks and gyms opening their doors for the first time in months.

However, health officials have continued to warn the public that in spite of the successful rollout of vaccines and Covid-19 cases and deaths falling, the pandemic is not over and everyone should continue to follow the guidelines.

Chief Superintendent Jon McAdam, said: “Firstly I’d like to thank the vast majority of people across Lincolnshire for being responsible since the latest easing of the lockdown restrictions, and the positive measures taken by local businesses in ensuring this is managed as safe as possible.

“The reopening of pubs, shops, gyms and outdoor venues is welcome news for us all, but it is crucial that we don’t become complacent and we continue to stick to the rules; ensuring we all play our part to keep ourselves and others safe and to prevent any possible resurgence of the virus.

“This has been a difficult time for everyone and whilst we have reached the next stage for the easing of restrictions it is important to remind ourselves that indoor gatherings are not permitted at this time."

Police say there were no significant gatherings indoors across Lincolnshire which were brought to the police’s attention.

However, within 24 hours of the easing of lockdown restrictions, officers in Lincoln responded to three house parties.

A relatively small number of people were found at each property, between 6 and 10 people, but those involved had breached the national restrictions that are still in place for socialising indoors and a total of eight Fixed Penalty Notice’s were issued.

Steve Andrews, manager of the Hildreds Centre in Skegness, said it was a joy to see the 'real buzz' in the town on Monday.

He said: "Everyone I saw or met in the centre and on the street were polite, friendly and just happy to be out enjoying the blue skies and sunshine.

"Everyone wore masks and kept their distance and even though both the town and centre were definitely busier, everyone just seemed to be happy to abide by the rules and stay safe.

"The Hildreds would like to say a massive thank you to everyone who visited us - it was a real pleasure to see you all.

"We would like to say a huge thank you from the bottom of our hearts to everyone who have shown their support and visited us.

"When we are allowed to do so, can we ask you all to extend your generosity and also support our local cafes, coffee shops, restaurants and pubs? These local businesses are the social lifeblood of our town centres and they need people to show confidence in them too.

"And, when able, please visit local cinemas, theatres and other entertainment venues.

"If we do this, together we will rebuild our town centres from the ground up and help local businesses to become stronger and better than ever."

A summary of new rules introduced from April 12 is available here: https://www.lincs.police.uk/news-campaigns/news/2021/operation-unlock-we-re-here-to-help-you-through-lockdown-restrictions-easing/Read more about the reopening of facilities in the Skegness area here:

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