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10
Sept 2020
Stray Defence Association issues covid gatherings plea
New social distancing guidelines will be in place from Monday, prompting fears of a repeat of summer crowds on the Stray.
After months of mud, the Stray is once again green and open for the public.
The Stray Defence Association has urged people using the Stray to respect the new six person limit on gatherings.
During the summer crowds gathered on the Stray, breaking social distancing rules.
The association hopes there will be no repeat of this from Monday when groups of more than six people will be forbidden from gathering, except in exceptional circumstances.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said yesterday this would "stop the spread of the virus and save lives".
Crowds of young people gathered on the Stray over summer. From Monday, groups must be limited to six people.Young people have been widely blamed for the recent increase in covid infections.
Judy d'Arcy Thompson, chair of the association, said the majority of young people had stuck to the rules extremely well and she hoped everyone continued to enjoy the wide spaces of the Stray while respecting the new law.
She said:
"It's given people the space to socially distance and I think it has really come into its own. It is an asset for the town and there's enough space for everyone to enjoy it."
But she added:
"We had three weeks of people up at Tewit Well breaking the social distancing laws and the police had to be involved.
"No-one wants to stop young people enjoying themselves but the rules are there for everyone. Let's hope this time it is different, I am not being anti-young and don't want to stop them having a good time but they can't be breaking the restrictions again. It is an asset for the town and there's enough space for everyone to enjoy it."
Read more:
- Crowds gathered on the Stray to enjoy the summer weather but left a mess for volunteers to clear up.
- WATCH to see how the West Park Stray looks now after months of landscaping work.
Until now, the police have not been able to disperse gatherings unless they exceeded 30 people.
North Yorkshire Police declined to comment when asked by the Stray whether it would be monitoring gatherings on the Stray from Monday.
John Apter, the national chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said:
“For policing, these constant changes to legislation are becoming the norm. The pressures on policing have increased significantly over recent months and this latest change will add to this pressure. The government needs to play its part - an effective public information campaign must be a priority. We would urge the public to do the right thing and comply with the new rules."
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