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Police force says it will not respond to calls about shoppers who refuse to wear face masks

Man grocery shopping at the supermarket wearing a face mask
Man grocery shopping at the supermarket wearing a face mask
Coronavirus Article Bar with counter ..
Coronavirus Article Bar with counter ..

A police force has become the first in the country to announce it will not respond to calls about shoppers refusing to wear face masks.

Devon and Cornwall's police and crime commissioner said officers were too busy to respond to calls about face masks unless there was violence or disorder involved.

Later this week, it will become mandatory for people in England to wear face coverings when they go to shops and other enclosed spaces, with the threat of a £100 fixed penalty notice for non-compliance.

However, there is widespread confusion around how the rule will be enforced, after retailers said their staff should not be expected to intervene.

Amid criticism of inconsistent messaging on the issue, George Eustice, the Environment Secretary,  last week said shops would have a "role to play" but added: "When it comes to that final sanction of issuing a penalty, that is something that only the police can do."

How masks and social distancing could be crucial [animated] (Airborne, sneeze, cough)
How masks and social distancing could be crucial [animated] (Airborne, sneeze, cough)

However, Alison Hernandez, police and crime commissioner for Devon and Cornwall, said officers would not investigate reports of people ignoring the new rule.

"We are moving back into ordinary policing," she said. "The expectation is that [officers] will only come if there is disorder or violence or something associated with it. They are not going to come to every phone call that someone is not wearing a mask."

Last week, the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) suggested officers would only intervene over face masks as a "last resort".

Andrew Goodacre, the CEO of the British Independent Retailer Association, said: "This is not the role of retailers, and we would be concerned any such enforcement may lead to a further increase in the number of threats and abuse shop workers in the UK are currently experiencing."

It came as a survey found that around half of service workers have faced abuse from customers during the pandemic.

Almost three-quarters (73 per cent) said they had experienced verbal hostility, and more than a quarter (26 per cent) said they had been subjected to physical assault.

Examples ranged from being shouted and sworn at to, in extreme cases, being spat on.

Wearing facemasks survey
Wearing facemasks survey

The study by the Institute of Customer Service (ICS) – which surveyed 1,000 customer service workers and 1,000 members of the public – also showed that the majority of staff felt that their roles had changed, forcing them to do things that increased the risk of conflict.

These included ensuring that newly implemented social distancing measures were properly adhered to, and dealing with "frustrated customers".

Meanwhile the Government has announced that factories in south Wales and Lancashire have begun making "high quality" face coverings. Around £14 million is being invested as part of a push to produce a million every week.

Michael Gove, the Cabinet Office minister, said: "This is a major step to ensure that this country can meet any increase in demand for face coverings by working with British firms to establish the capability, capacity and skills required to manufacture these items at scale."