UK Police Force Brags About "Hiding In The Shadows" To Catch Picnic-Goers

A police force in the UK has bragged that its officers may be ‘hiding in the shadows’ ready to catch people who have picnics in rural locations. The Central Community Team, which represents Bedfordshire Police, tweeted out an ominous message that sounds like it could have been ripped straight from the pages of George Orwell’s 1984. “If you think that by going for a picnic in a rural location no one will find you, don’t be surprised if an officer appears from the shadows! We are covering the whole county,” states the tweet. The message was accompanied by a photo of two officers literally standing in the shadows...

If you think that by going for a picnic in a rural location no one will find you, don’t be surprised if an officer appears from the shadows! We are covering the whole county #urbanandrural #StayHomeSaveLifes #ProtectTheNHS 2813 7702 pic.twitter.com/hieQ86dM9R

— Central Community Team (@CentralBedsCPT) April 11, 2020

Last week, the government was forced to clarify that police officers shouldn’t be checking the contents of grocery baskets after a police force suggested they would be looking for “non-essential” items. The government also clarified that it is not illegal for people to be outside in their own gardens following the release of a video which showed a female South Yorkshire Police officer telling a family it was against the rules for their children to be playing in their own front garden.