Wiltshire Police is reminding people of the importance of following the Government's current Covid-19 restrictions as we approach a second national lockdown.

Over the weekend, increased patrols were in place to help ensure those out for Halloween were marking the occasion in a safe and responsible way.

These patrols are part of our ongoing proactive work, specifically designed to follow up on reports from the public and provide a swift response to any potential breaches of the regulations.

Our officers and police community support officers have been focusing on engagement and encouragement, but have been providing warnings and enforcement when necessary.

This weekend also marked the first deployment of the new COVID marshals in Swindon - volunteers who are supporting our PCSOs with our proactive, community focused approach to the COVID response.

Over the past week (26/10 - 01/11) we have:

• Recorded 34 Covid-related reports.
• Recorded four Covid-related crimes and five Covid-related incidents.
• Issued 34 Covid-related warnings.
• We did not issue any fixed penalty notices. The last FPN was issued on 21/10, which was when someone had failed to self-isolate.

Chief Constable Kier Pritchard said: "As we approach a second national lockdown, we are in a strong position here in Wiltshire as we already have a well-established operation of proactive patrols by dedicated PCSOs.

"These patrols have already allowed us to increase our public engagement, and I feel confident that we can continue this as we prepare for the second lockdown later this week.

"I would like to thank everyone for their support over the weekend. We knew that the combination of Halloween, and then the fact that people realised on Saturday it was their last weekend to visit pubs and restaurants before going back into lockdown, could have proved challenging for policing.

"However, overall, we were pleased to see strong levels of cooperation from the public.

"It is clear that our close partnership work with the two local authorities, including Saturday's launch of the Swindon Borough Council Covid marshals scheme, is having a hugely positive impact.

"While we are waiting for national guidance about the role of the police in the new lockdown restrictions, I want to reassure you all that we will continue with our approach of engagement first but enforcement when necessary."

Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire and Swindon Angus Macpherson said: "The Prime Minister has made it clear that we must all continue to work together to fight the spread of Covid-19 and that our actions over the coming weeks could be the difference between large numbers of people dying or their lives being saved.

"I am pleased that compliance with the current restrictions in Wiltshire and Swindon remains high but I would continue to urge you to visit the Government website if you have any questions about how lockdown will impact you and your family."

For more information about the current and upcoming Covid-19 restrictions please visit www.gov.uk/coronavirus