Chief constable urges Scots to inform on neighbours holding indoor gatherings this weekend
Scotland's Chief Constable has asked people to inform on their neighbours hosting house gatherings this weekend amid fears wet weather will encourage indoor parties.
Iain Livingstone urged Scots to do the "right thing" and contact the police, arguing that house or dinner parties are "particularly dangerous" as coronavirus spreads much more quickly indoors.
Speaking ahead of the second weekend of lockdown being eased in Scotland, he said his officers would initially try to explain to the hosts why they should not be holding gatherings but if this does not work "we will enforce the law because there is high risk".
His message was echoed by Nicola Sturgeon, who admitted that indoor gatherings would prove a "particular temptation" this weekend but warned they risked the participants becoming ill or even dying.
She said Scots missing their friends or family should not meet them at all if wet and windy conditions mean they are reluctant to venture outside.
Their warning came after thousands of Scots flouted her guidelines when lockdown was eased last weekend, which coincided with glorious sunny weather.
Police Scotland had to disperse 797 groups on Saturday alone, moving people on for not complying with the rules, while transport use was up 60 per cent.
Ms Sturgeon threatened to put a five-mile travel limit into law after day trippers descended en masse to beauty spots including Loch Lomond and Glencoe, where traffic levels tripled.
Scots are currently permitted to meet one other household, with the total group limited to eight people. However, social distancing must be maintained and the gatherings must take place outdoors.
Speaking alongside Ms Sturgeon at her daily media briefing, Mr Livingstone said this weekend's weather would be poorer than last weekend's but people must not "hold house parties or gatherings indoors."
He said: "The police service will take very robust action in that regard because we know that that is particularly dangerous in regard to the spread of the virus.
"Don't have house parties if the rain comes on, don't get your friends round. It's not the time to do that. It is literally putting lives at risk."
Appealing to Scots to inform on their neighbours, he said: "If you have concerns this weekend within your own communities, you've got concerns there is a house party going on somewhere, I would encourage you to contact the police service because it's the right thing to do.
"We need to identify house parties as they are occurring. We'll deal with them in a fair and reasonable manner."
The chief constable also warned Police Scotland would maintain a highly visible presence at beauty spots to discourage a repeat of last weekend's mass exodus to the countryside.
Ms Sturgeon warned that meeting indoors was "extremely high risk" and made a "special plea" to young people not to hold parties, warning they were "not immune from this virus" and could pass it on to grandparents.
Both the First Minister and the chief constable also urged Scots not to gather for mass protests against racism this weekend, in the wake of the death of George Floyd in the US.
While sympathising with the Black Lives Matter campaign, she said the mass gatherings planned in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness were "simply not safe" and pose "a real risk to life".
