Sussex Police have issued a statement after a tweet from an officer regarding so-called 'unacceptable' journeys in the region was deleted.
The tweet from the Rother Police Twitter account, which has since been deleted, claimed that 'too many persons are using their cars to travel in order to get away from home', and branded the journeys as 'unacceptable in the current climate', stating 'offenders will be fined'.
The Government guidance on travel states that while it is against the law to leave home to travel unless for work, there are certain legally permitted reasons to do so.
It reads:
'It is against the law to leave your home to travel unless for work or other legally permitted reasons.
'If you need to travel you should stay local – meaning avoiding travelling outside of your village, town or the part of a city where you live – and look to reduce the number of journeys you make overall.
'You can help control COVID-19 and travel safely by walking and cycling, if you can.
'Where this is not possible, use public transport or drive.'
Rules state that exercise should be undertaken in a person's local area, but no mention is made of any illegality surrounding driving to a destination in that area to do so.
A Sussex Police spokesperson commented on the matter:
'The information provided by Rother Police in relation to travelling to Camber Sands was well intentioned however, as it did not offer clarity to the public on this matter, we have removed it.
'As has been our policing approach throughout the pandemic, we will continue to engage with members of the public in relation to the Government regulations.'
The force also clarified Government guidance, and measures being taken to enforce it:
'Where it is identified that individuals do not have a reasonable excuse to be outside of their home then they will be encouraged to follow the restrictions; taking enforcement action when it is necessary, justified and proportionate to do so.
'Communities are therefore urged to continue following the regulations and guidance to curb the spread of the virus and help save lives.'
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