Figures issued by National Police Chiefs’ Council show police in England and Wales have issued a total of 68,952 fixed penalty notices for breaches of Coronavirus restrictions up to 14 February.

The provisional figures also demonstrate a year on year rise in assaults on emergency workers, which have risen 14 per cent in the month to 14 February 2021 compared to the year before.

In light of this evidence, the National Chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, John Apter, has strongly re-iterated the need for police officers to be vaccinated after the most vulnerable in society.

Mr Apter said: “These figures come as no surprise – there are, sadly, individuals who even now believe that they can bend or break the regulations keeping us all safe. What is important is to look at these statistics in light of the fact that we have seen assaults on emergency services workers rising steadily in the months since the first lockdown.

“My colleagues are doing all they can in the midst of this pandemic and often that involves close interaction with individuals, many of them weaponising the virus by spitting and coughing at them.

“Many officers have also been unwell while thousands more have been forced to self-isolate because they have come into contact with the virus at work. Without priority access to the vaccine, police officers continue to be at risk for simply doing their job.

“Despite this, police officers are not being prioritised to be vaccinated against this deadly virus. This is seen by my colleagues as a deep betrayal, especially given everything that has been asked of them.”

The figures, released on 25 February, give a breakdown of the fixed penalty notices which have been issued.

Read more: Update on Coronavirus FPNs issued by police (npcc.police.uk)