THERE will be an increased police presence on the streets of Lancashire to enforce Prime Minister Boris Johnson's coronavirus lockdown, the county's Chief Constable has warned.

Chf Cons Andy Rhodes said the force will take a zero tolerance approach to anyone flouting the new guidelines, with a particular focus on those who insist on mass gatherings.

Calling on the communities to "step up to the plate", he also said he was confident the force had enough resources to respond to all emergency calls during the pandemic.

Chf Cons Rhodes said: "We all need to work together and this is a critical time in the history of Lancashire. We are relying on the trust that we have got with our communities that help us every day of the week in peace time to step up to the plate and help us now.

"The first thing that we need your support with is only calling us if you need something specific and you are in urgent need of our care. We will be there to provide that throughout this pandemic and we are confident we can do that . But do not ring us for any advice around the pandemic measures – go to www.gov.uk.

"You will start seeing an increased police presence on the streets of Lancashire. We will be tasking our officers and staff to work with our communities to make sure people are clear on what they can and can't do as the new measures start to take shape.

"For those people who continue to ignore the measures that have been put in place, we will be taking a very strong position on this. We have legislation already at our disposal to use and, particularly for people who insist on mass gathering, we will be taking a zero tolerance approach."

As part of the Prime Minister's crackdown people will only be allowed to leave their home for very limited purposes.

Shops will be shut, as well as places like playgrounds and some other outdoor spaces.

People are now only entitled to leave their property for:

Shopping for basic necessities

One form of exercise a day

Medical need

To care for a vulnerable person

Travelling to work only when absolutely necessary.

Mr Johnson said police will act to stop any gatherings larger than two (not including members of the same household) by handing out fines and dispersing gatherings.

Shops that don't sell food or other essential items will close.

This will include clothing and electronics stores; hair, beauty and nail salons and outdoor and indoor markets, excluding food markets.