NORTHUMBRIA Police have warned the public against driving into the countryside to take their dog for a walk.
The police confirmed that they will take firm action where necessary to ensure the public follow stay-at-home restrictions.
It followed government legislation that means officers across the country would be able to issue £60 fines if individuals ignore the request to stay at home and avoid non-essential travel.
Assistant Chief Constable Helen McMillan said walkers driving to areas away from their homes could be fined.
She said: "The most frequently asked question we have had is whether you can drive somewhere to exercise or walk your dog.
“Under the new legislation this is not considered to be essential travel and we will ask people to return home. Anyone who refuses does face being issued with a fine.
“Exercise should take place around the immediate area of where you live so we can all help mitigate against the spread of the infection. People should not be travelling away from their home to carry this out.
“This is a national health emergency and a walk is not worth risking lives. We all need to work together to help protect the NHS and keep each other safe.”
However, assistant chief constable McMillan added that officers would look to encourage and engage with the public to follow the guidance, with enforcement a last resort.
She continued: " “We pride ourselves on the fantastic relationships we have formed in our community and now more than ever we need you to work with us.
“These are unprecedented times and we need a unified approach to prevent the spread of the virus so we can protect the NHS and ultimately save people’s lives.
“We know people have a lot of questions about these new restrictions but the message from Government is a simple one – please stay at home.
“Too many people are continuing to ignore the measures put in place to keep us all safe and that is why we have been granted powers to enforce them.
“Our policy will always be one of engaging and encouraging people to follow the restrictions and we resolve issues every single day by talking to members of the public.
“There may be some cases where you need to leave the house for essential travel and our officers will show common sense when engaging with the public.
“However, if people put lives at risk by refusing to comply with our instruction then we will enforce this legislation - we believe that is something you would expect of us.”
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