No problem with traffic management, but many police forces have been interpreting the regulations in their own way.
I have taken the view that if I go to store which is allowed to open in order to get essentials, I can buy whatever they have for sale. Tesco for bread and milk, and while I'm there if they are selling DVDs and newspapers then that's fine. Here in Cambridgeshire the Police have been saying some very odd things, implying that one shouldn't do that. There was a Downing Street clarification on 10 April confirming the view I have taken. B&Q, a tap washer or light bulb might be essential but it's open so it can sell anything on its shelves. Mental health is pretty important, and if we are helped along by sowing a few seeds in compost why not? Food is essential, compost+seeds in April = food in summer. Newspapers are not essential but the Government specifically said the industry can carry on.
Last week, in a very odd event reported in the hospital staff newsletter, Cambridgeshire Police had been stopping and checking cars going to Addenbrookes Hospital challenging people to say why their journey was essential and not accepting NHS badges as sufficient evidence. It's not force policy the Chief Constable 'clarified' (no apology), most likely an over zealous or just plain dim constable making up rules on the spot.
Like this:
https://twitter.com/grandad1975/status/ ... 6563631104
Which is just plain wrong, the regulations specifically permit:
(3) For the purposes of paragraph (1), the place where a person is living includes the premises where they live together with any garden, yard, passage, stair, garage, outhouse or other appurtenance of such premises.
So once more a Chief Constable had to clarify and, through gritted teeth, apologize to the family.
Which comes back to my original point - we do have a health crisis, we do have people dying, something must be done. But it shouldn't be up to the judgement of an individual Police Officer or to any of us on this forum to say what is or is not essential for anyone else. Just give us clear country-wide rules. Tap washers yes, compost no, lightbulbs yes, drill bits no, bread yes, vodka no ... I don't really care as long as its clear and people are not 'publicly shamed' for doing what they believe to be OK. The Police have been granted a lot of power, most are using it responsibly but some are not.
Anyway this is so far off the original topic that it's my turn to apologize. Back to my original-original point, Wickes website was hopeless when I tried to use it.
