The man leading North Yorkshire Police’s response to the Covid crisis has spoken out about vandals who defaced a coronavirus warning sign.
Installed by North Yorkshire County Council, the roadside sign said: “Covid-19 – Is your journey essential?”
But vandals wrote ‘LIES’ in red paint on the sign and tore it down.
It was placed at Cross Hills in Craven.
Superintendent Mike Walker, North Yorkshire Police lead for the force’s Covid-19 response, said: “It’s disappointing to see that, while the majority of residents are sticking to the rules and staying home, someone has chosen to go out of their way to vandalise a sign which has been placed with the intention of keeping them safe and stopping the spread of a deadly disease.
“I realise a minority of people may be feeling tired of seeing coronavirus messages or feeling frustrated about being asked to stay at home. It’s not the way any of us would choose to live our life under normal circumstances.
“However, that does not give any one the right to deface a sign which warns the wider community of the risk of catching a virus.
“Despite the red paint that has been daubed all over the sign, or the intention of the person who damaged it – the message has not been obscured or changed; to protect the NHS and save lives, we all must stay home and only make essential journeys and when we do leave home – stay local.”
Police would be patrolling this weekend and “taking enforcement action against blatant breaches”.
In North Yorkshire more than 30 people have died from Covid-19 in the last week taking the total number deaths in the county to 841.