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Welsh police defend spot check on train to monitor 'essential' journeys

BTP North Wales tweeted a photo of police carrying out a spot check amid the firebreak lockdown restrictions: BTP North Wales
BTP North Wales tweeted a photo of police carrying out a spot check amid the firebreak lockdown restrictions: BTP North Wales

Police in Wales have defended themselves after a photo showed two officers doing a spot check on a train to check passengers were following firebreak lockdown rules.

Under the shutdown, which began at 6pm on Friday and will end on November 9, non-essential travel is banned.

British Transport Police North Wales tweeted a photo of two officers checking if a passenger's journey was deemed essential .

The photo was captioned: "We are checking if your journey is essential! Please stay at home!"

The tweet sparked a backlash, with some social media users describing it as "dystopian".

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BTP North Wales deleted the original post and then issued a statement on Twitter, which said: "Right folks - the last tweet generated a fair amount of comment so let's put a few things straight.

"Wales is on lockdown. You should not be out without a reasonable excuse.

"It is our job to enforce the current regulations. We did this throughout the previous lockdown too.

"This means asking why people are travelling."

Wales is under a two week lockdown (PA)
Wales is under a two week lockdown (PA)

The force added that everyone needs to do their bit to defeat the virus.

North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones also tweeted his support for the police.

"For the record I fully support and appreciate the work that @BTPNorthWales do with @NWPolice to ensure compliance with #Covid19UK regulations", he wrote.

On Saturday, a further 1,324 people were reported to have tested positive for coronavirus in Wales, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 41,577.

Public Health Wales said 16 people with Covid-19 had died, with the total number of deaths since the beginning of the pandemic rising to 1,772.

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