Coronavirus: Police using checkpoints and drones to stop people reaching beauty spots backed by No 10

Police using checkpoints and drones to stop people getting to beauty spots have been backed by Downing Street, which said “unnecessary” driving is banned.

Boris Johnson’s spokesman threw his weight behind the strongarm tactics – which have drawn widespread criticism – saying forces had full authority in deciding how to enforce the rules.

“We have given the police a series of enforcement powers and will leave it to their discretion how to enforce them,” he said.

Police in Durham and North Yorkshire have begun roadside checks on motorists and pedestrians, questioning them about their reasons for being out.

And the Derbyshire force was condemned for taking drone footage of ramblers, dog walkers and people taking pictures in the Peak District.

The prime minister’s spokesman rejected criticism that the tactics were an over-reaction, saying: “Wherever possible, avoid unnecessary travel.”

He argued that the “overwhelming majority of people will fully understand the gravity of the situation” and accepted the need for the crackdown.

It had “always been” the British way for governments to pass laws and leave it up to the police to decide how they should be carried out.

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