Chair in TV plea on ‘coronavirus coughing’

1 May 2020

The chair of West Midlands Police Federation has appeared on television to appeal to the public to end a crime that has become extremely dangerous during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jon Nott was interviewed on BBC’s Midlands Today programme yesterday and explained that the Federation was concerned for the welfare of officers and their families with several officers being coughed on or spat at.

A number of people across the West Midlands have now been jailed for spitting or coughing at officers while claiming to have COVID-19. Recent guidance has allowed for more stringent custodial sentences in an attempt to deter would-be offenders.

Jon says he is urging the public to exercise restraint and, in turn, show some respect for officers who are on the front-line in the battle against coronavirus.

“We are used to threats and we get threats as police officers but we are still human beings at the end of the day,” says Jon, “With COVID-19, it’s the unknown that is the added problem. It’s having to deal with the waiting and the not knowing with whether you are infected.

“And then it’s the worry about whether you are infecting your family too and the effects that can have on your mental health.”