Last night the Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced  his latest measures to try and deal with the coronavirus.

The implications of this will be felt by all of us, but the decision to effectively lockdown most of us at home, will see additional demands on our police force.

The following is my official statement issued by my office today:

Following Monday night\’s Government announcement, I want to reassure you that the extensive planning by the Constabulary is now falling into place. The police have my full support as we work together to enforce these new restrictions in Gloucestershire.

While the new initiatives are unprecedented, I am in daily contact with the Chief Constable and have no doubt that our Constabulary is strong and will act proportionately to help keep the county safe and support our partners in the NHS.

However, I will continue in my role to act on your behalf, listening to your concerns and feeding back to the Constabulary, ensuring that police retain a focus on protecting the elderly and vulnerable people of our communities.

I would like to thank you all for your compliance with these strict new measures. While the next few weeks and months will be challenging for us all, it is important to remember that our actions – staying at home and limiting contact will save lives.