Covid causes huge contrasts.

Network Rail will carry out track improvements at Haltwhistle and will be take "... all necessary precautions...re Covid-19 current Government guidelines".

This is reassuring since I will not wait above the rail tracks night after night to check the social-distancing of rail workers!

Contrast this scrupulous care with a Haltwhistle supermarket (there are only two - locals will work it out).

Innocently entering at 11.30am last Sunday (hardly rush-hour) I was met by bewildering chaos.

Of 14+ jostling shoppers and staff, four young people and two staff restocking shelves were without masks!

I had an unrelated chat outside and was walking home but then saw another unmasked young man (with a beer can) enter.

I followed and pointed out to the shop manager that (including shop staff) there had been seven unprotected people in the shop within a few minutes!

The shop manager's response (like the police when I phoned) was: "..staff and public have no need to explain lack of protection."

So much for government safety-guidelines - our police are completely toothless. Both public and staff can wear badges if they have health exemptions but nobody bothers.

So much also for our government's 'Project Fear'.

Many of the public (mainly young people) feel neither fear nor responsibility for the renewed surge of infections. Like the old and ill I do feel fear and will now shop elsewhere.

I have a car but I have great sympathy for the many forced to shop within walking distance.

Please let's have local responsibility and local decisive action.

PHILIP COOPER

Haltwhistle