POLICE visited woodland in Dursley today to ensure lockdown guidelines are being followed.

After receiving reports of camping and group gatherings in Dursley woodland, special constables Murcott and Smart carried out a foot patrol in the area this afternoon.

This comes after Gloucestershire Police reported a slight rise in those using the roads and a small increase in incidents of public and private gatherings over the weekend.

Overall, at least 25 fixed penalty notices were issued across the county on Saturday and Sunday, although the exact figure is likely to be higher as officers are still filing returns.

The Constabulary continues to run Operation Stay At Home, which was launched over the Easter bank holiday weekend in a bid to reduce the amount of people using the roads for unnecessary travel.

During the weekend, approximately 425 vehicles were stopped by officers from the Specialist Operations Team, with the majority of motorists having reasonable excuses to be out. A small number needing to be reminded of the government's social distancing guidelines.

Patrols of the M5 and vehicle stops on the A436 at Severn Springs yesterday (Sunday) saw 142 vehicles stopped with 11 people receiving warnings, one vehicle being turned around and six tickets being issued.

Between Monday (20 April) and Sunday (26 April), the Special Constabulary, a team made up of volunteers, contributed 1,500 hours of work which saw them conduct 234 open space visits, disperse 30 groups for meeting in public places and respond to 27 reports of anti-social behaviour, amongst many other duties.

Assistant Chief Constable Craig Holden said: "With the lockdown still in place, my officers will continue to engage with the public, explain the social distancing regulations and encourage those who are out without a reasonable excuse to return home.

"The public have in most cases been complying with government lockdown measures over the past couple of weeks, but it is very sad to hear that another officer was assaulted over the weekend and that we are now receiving more reports of vehicles on the roads and gatherings in public and private spaces.

"I know that lockdown is difficult for everyone, particularly when the weather is so nice. Several weeks in, it is important that we continue to act responsibly and maintain our focus on protecting the NHS and saving lives.”