PIERS Morgan slammed football fans “crammed in like sardines” at yesterday’s Marine vs Tottenham game after police hit walkers with Covid fines.
The Good Morning Britain host took umbrage with scenes that aired on telly last night after hundreds gathered outside Rossett Park Stadium to welcome players from both teams ahead of the club’s historic FA Cup clash with the Premier League side.
Police insisted Marine fans did NOT break Covid rules — but that didn’t wash with Piers who pointed out two women were surrounded by cops and fined £200 each for meeting in a park for a coffee last week.
He said on GMB today: “The Government is said to be on the brink of calling for tighter measures among genuine concern that the huge efforts to vaccinate people could be in vain if people don’t follow the rules.
“What’s the problem with two people outside socially distancing having a cup of coffee? Compared to what happened when the Tottenham Hotspur team arrived last night.
“There were hundreds if not thousands of people crammed in like sardines. So the public look at this and they think how can that be acceptable? Yet two people driving safely to a parkland is an arrestable, finable offence.”
Despite Government lockdown advice stating individuals should only leave home for essential trips or to exercise with one other person, Merseyside Police believe social distancing was carried out.
Superintendent Andy Rankine said: “A small gathering took place ahead of the arrival of the team coaches, and road closures were put in place to facilitate this arrival safely.
“The vast majority of people present were adhering to social-distancing measures and those who were not were advised by officers.”
Tweets poured in as viewers joined the debate, with one person writing: “GMB We all know the moment when we the public lost respect regarding lockdown rules and that’s when Dominic Cummins went to get his eyes tested 150miles away. @piersmorgan Did he get a fine? He should have been gone immediately.”
Jessica Allen and Eliza Moore were also told the drinks they had with them – two peppermint teas from Starbucks – were classed “as a picnic.”
The pair said they were “surrounded by police” and read their rights when they arrived at Foremark Reservoir in Derbyshire, just five miles from Ms Allen’s home in Ashby-de-la-Zouch.
The police force involved, Derbyshire Police, said driving for exercise was “not in the spirit” of lockdown.
Current rules state you can leave your home to exercise by yourself, with your household/bubble or on your own with one other person.
This should be limited to once per day, and you should not travel outside your local area.
Ms Allen said: “I genuinely thought someone had been murdered; the place is normally so quiet. The next thing, my car is surrounded. I got out of my car thinking ‘There’s no way they’re coming to speak to us’.
“Straight away they start questioning us. One of them started reading my rights and I was looking at my friend and thinking ‘this must be a joke.’
“I said we had come in separate cars, even parked two spaces apart and even brought our own drinks. He said ‘you can’t do that as its classed as a picnic.’”
Ms Allen said she was shaken up afterwards, adding: “The fact they read my rights. I thought ‘Am I going to prison for going on a walk?’
“I’m not a criminal but we were treated as if we were criminals and it really made me feel for those people who are wrongly arrested and questioned by police, because it wasn’t a nice situation to be in.”
