North East leaders will tell Government to 'sod off' if they try to impose tier three restrictions

North East leaders will tell the Government to “sod off” if they try to impose tier three restrictions, a council boss has said as more areas look set to move into the toughest measures.

Shane Moore, leader of Hartlepool Council, said the Government had failed to communicate with local leaders in the North East about moving into tier three.

He said: “If anyone suggests it [moving into tier three] to me this week they’ll be told to sod off.

“It’s quite clear this message is echoed across the rest of the Tees Valley and I know for a fact it’s the case in the north east.”

Mr Moore revealed he received a letter on Tuesday morning from a senior figure at Public Health England, who said: “I am crystal clear there is currently not a public health case for Hartlepool or any other North East authority to move into tier three restrictions.”

His comments come after Downing Street said talks are continuing with local leaders in the North West, the North East and Yorkshire and Humber about further coronavirus restrictions.

In the Commons on Monday Matt Hancock also said that talks were planned with the regions.

However Nadia Whittome, Labour MP for Nottingham East, disputed this as she told The Telegraph that “Nottingham MPs and the city council leader have not had any communication from Hancock”.

Nottingham City Councillor David Mellen said he would only support being moved into tier three if the right economic support was available.

“When the Government is ready to talk to us we’re here and ready,” he said.

“We’re ready to put the views of the people of Nottingham and ready to fight for the best deal for ourselves, if further restrictions are necessary.”

Meanwhile Mr Moore cautioned that “sufficient time” was needed to see if the tier two restrictions were working “before even further restrictions are put in place”.

He added that he and other leaders were seeking advice from Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, to see how they approached it.

“I don’t foresee us having a conversation about moving into tier three,” Mr Moore added.

“There is no evidence that we should be even speaking about it right now.”

Andy Preston, Middlesbrough Mayor, said he was fearful that the Government was in talks about taking Middlesbrough into the highest restrictions, when he had not been involved in such conversations.

He said: “I’m terrified to know that conversations have been going on in Number 10 and other places about putting Middlesbrough into tier three with bad data and bad inferences and still no conversation with them. I’m wholly dispirited.”

He added that Middlesbrough needed “a lot of money” and that it was “natural to infer that what’s playing out” in Manchester was likely to happen in the rest of the North East.

“We are facing monstrous problems here and the Government seems oblivious,” he said.

It is believed that talks about imposing tougher restrictions on the North East will take place at the end of this week.

Sir Keir Starmer accused the Government of “treating local communities, particularly in the Midlands, North West and North East, and their leaders with contempt”.