Wigan family who drove 80 miles for trip out to Lake District stopped by police

A family from Leigh in Wigan drove more than 80 miles to visit the Lake District today (April 8), despite the nationwide coronavirus lockdown.

Officers stopped the family's car at Windermere before advising them to return home to Leigh.

Police also escorted the family, consisting of two adults and four children, back to the M6.

The force reiterated "all routes into the Lakes" were being policed to combat the spread of Covid-19.

The incident comes after police took the unprecedented step of announcing that the entire park would be closed for the first time in its history.

The decision was made after hundreds of people continued to descend on the Lake District National Park, ignoring Government orders to stay at home during the first lockdown weekend.

Temp Chief Supt Rob O'Connor said: "Pubs, cafes and restaurants are closed and we do not want to see people travelling to the Lakes in caravans and camper vans, or driving many miles in their cars to go walking on the fells.

"Government guidance is really clear in relation to personal movements to limit the spread of coronavirus."

Restaurants, pubs, leisure facilities, spas and other visitor attractions in the Lake District and Cumbria have been closed to slow the spread of Covid-19.

A message on the Visit Cumbria website reads: "Please respect Cumbria Police, Government and Cumbria Tourism advice not to visit the Lake District and Cumbria during the Covid-19 coronavirus crisis.

"A national lockdown has been imposed by the Government, which also applies to the whole of Cumbria, including the fells."