CHESHIRE'S police and crime commissioner (PCC) has hit out at the Government over the way it brought in rules on face coverings today, July 24.

Face coverings are now mandatory in shops, shopping centres and take-aways - including coffee and sandwich shops – except for people on the list of exceptions.

But David Keane says there has been a lack of information provided to police forces in order to enforce the new rules, despite officers being able to issue fines to anyone flouting them.

He said: "Police and crime commissioners, and chief constables across England and Wales, were not consulted on these plans to make face coverings mandatory in local shops and we are yet to see the regulations.

"I would urge everyone to act responsibly and help to stop the spread of the virus and save lives.

"In Cheshire, we have embraced the 'four Es' approach of engaging with residents, explaining the regulations, encouraging them to follow them and only using enforcement as a last resort.

"The chief constable has assured me that officers will continue to follow this approach in relation to new face covering regulations."

Mr Keane says the lack of consultation on face coverings is 'another example' of Government failing to inform police leaders 'on important measures to stop the spread of coronavirus'.

However, the Government has denied Mr Keane's accusation, insisting that the regulations have been shared with officers across the country.

A Home Office spokesman said: “We have worked closely with the police to ensure the new changes are understood by officers around the country.

“Police forces have seen the new regulations and received guidance about how to enforce them.

“These changes were announced in advance of them being introduced, giving agencies and businesses time to implement changes and prepare.”

Meanwhile, Mr Keane is urging residents to be respectful as they shop with face coverings on, and says the matter will be a priority for officers across the county.

He said: “We have heard that retail workers are up to 75 per cent more likely to die from the virus than the rest of the population and concerns have been raised that these new rules could lead to our retail workers facing even more confrontation than usual.

"Any aggression or abuse towards retail workers is not acceptable. I have stressed the importance of Cheshire Police ensuring that the safety of our local retail workers is a priority.”