Sheffield council workers ‘reminded of guidance’ after ignoring social distancing at depot

This photo, taken during the morning last Friday, September 18, shows eight workers standing outside the local authority's Staniforth Road depot in Attercliffe where they are failing to observe the rules introduced to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

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The image was shared by a concerned reader, who asked to be named only as Mohammed.

Mark Bennett, Sheffield Council’s director of HR and customer services, said: “We are aware that there has been an instance of a small number of employees at the Staniforth Depot not observing social distancing measures.

"The employees have now been reminded of the current government guidance and the importance of adhering to social distancing measures.

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"The council takes the current public health guidance very seriously and all of our buildings have been made Covid-secure to minimise the risk to our staff.”

Social gatherings of more than six people have been prohibited since Monday, September 14, in what has been dubbed the ‘rule of six’.

Anyone caught breaking the restrictions could be fined £100 for a first offence, rising to a maximum of £3,200 for further breaches.

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Workplaces are exempt but employees are still expected to observe social distancing guidance, which states that people should stay two metres apart wherever possible, or one metre apart with extra precautions in place.

Mohammed, who took the photo, said: “It’s really upsetting to see council officials not following the rules and the guidelines of the Government.”