Mason Moore | Hinckley Reporter | 31 March 2021

FIFTEEN BENCHES have been temporarily installed in the Argents Mead park by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council.

The benches were placed in the park two days ago (29 March), the same day that the eased lockdown restrictions came into place, meaning that six people or two different households are able to gather in a public place or a private garden.

It has been confirmed that these have only been installed a temporary measure and will not stay.

The Borough Council have installed them for town-goers and families to use and enjoy, as they wanted to provide ‘somewhere to sit outside and enjoy the fresh air with friends or family over the coming weeks’.

Whilst meeting up outdoors is now allowed under current Covid guidelines and Government guidance, residents are being reminded that social distancing rules are still in place, so the ‘Hands, Face, Space’ rules must be adhered to.

Police are still able to dish out fines to those they find flouting the rules whilst in a group of six.

Outdoor sports facilities, like outdoor gyms, and open-air swimming pools, have re-opened as well.

Groups of six are not yet able to mix indoors until step three in the road map out of lockdown, which comes in six weeks’ time on 17 May.

Speaking in a video posted to Facebook, Chief Constable for Leicestershire Police, Simon Cole QPM, urged everybody to keep each other safe, mask up when necessary, and keep working together, as we head out of lockdown with the Government’s Covid-19 road map.

Chief Constable Cole, said: “Let’s keep looking after each other and making sure that we stay safe, and we’re still using face masks where we need to, because this has been a long difficult road for us, and that includes Officers and staff working, but also away from work.

“Please, let’s keep working together as communities all across Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland, and stay safe as we hopefully take another step forward in the [Covid-19] road map.”