Coronavirus: Young men drinking beer in park swear at nurse after being told to move
Written by News on 12/04/2020
An NHS nurse has confronted a group of young men who were drinking beer in a park and ignoring the government’s plea to stay at home.
Louise Ann, a mother of two from Basingstoke, was told to “f*** off” by the group, who were lounging around in the sunshine surrounded by their bikes – going against the current lockdown rules due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Filming the encounter, she told them: “My husband is not getting paid. I have to go in and do overtime, all the time. I’ve got two kids in there.”
As some of the men began to stand up and move away, one of them replied: “Well don’t stand near us then, innit?”
One of them sniggered after she said: “I have to go to work every day fearing I’m going to bring it home to my family because of people like you.
“You are absolute idiots.”
After being told to stop recording, the nurse added: “No! If you’re going to be stupid, then I’ll show the world how stupid you are.
“Absolute idiots. Why do you think you’re better than anyone else? I’ve got no idea.”
As the group began to cycle off, she said: “That’s it, jog on.”
Uploading the video to Facebook – where it has been shared thousands of times – Louise said she hated confrontation but had to act because she was “so cross”.
The weather has been warm for many of us over the Easter weekend, but Britons are being urged to follow government advice and avoid visits to beaches and parks.
Police officers from 37 forces in England and Wales issued more than 1,000 fines in the run-up to Thursday, for people breaching COVID-19 regulations.
But despite some high-profile reports of people breaking the lockdown restrictions in recent days, the vast majority of Britons appear to be adhering to the rules.
Photographs taken on Saturday showed only small numbers of people visiting normally popular destinations, despite temperatures peaking at 25.5C (78F).
The Met Office has said temperatures could exceed 24C (75.2F) on Easter Sunday, with the best weather forecast in the South.
Several parks have introduced new measures to deter people from sunbathing and gathering inside.
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Victoria Park in east London has newly reopened, but recorded messages urge visitors to follow social distancing measures, with mounted police and wardens patrolling the area.
On Friday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “This Easter will be another test of the nation’s resolve. It’s a time of year when people normally come together.
“But however warm the weather, however tempting your local beach or park, we need everyone to stay at home.”
On Saturday, the UK recorded 917 new coronavirus deaths, including an 11-year-old.
This brings the total number of UK deaths to 9,875.
(c) Sky News 2020: Coronavirus: Young men drinking beer in park swear at nurse after being told to move
