Driver on ‘essential shopping trip to pick up bag of sand’ in Sheffield arrested by police

Officers stopped a BMW in Sheffield yesterday during checks to ensure that people are adhering to lockdown rules imposed by the government to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

HEALTH: Personal protective equipment distributed to frontline workers throughout South Yorkshire

Two men in the car, who do not live in the same household, told officers that they were on an ‘essential’ journey to pick up a bag of sand.

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When they were searched, officers found a bag of cannabis and the passenger was reported for possession of a controlled drug.

Both men were issued with a fixed penalty notice for breaching the lockdown rules.

South Yorkshire Police said: On our travels, we have been trying to make sure that everyone is sticking to the public health regulations designed to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

“We’ve been doing our best to make sure that people stick to those other rules, commonly referred to as laws.

“This BMW was seen in Sheffield and gave a colleague the distinct impression that it didn’t want to be spoken to. Naturally, this meant that, at that exact moment in time, there was no one our colleague wanted to speak to more.

“After chatting to the two male occupants, who were not of the same household, they told us that their essential journey was to go and pick up a bag of sand for the garden.

“As our colleague had noticed the smell of the magic herb tickling his nostrils, we wondered what they might be growing in this garden that was so important that they thought it was worth risking catching and spreading Covid-19.

“After considering all possible meanings of the word ‘essential,’ followed by all possible meanings of the phrase ‘taking the Michael,’ we fully explained the phrase ‘you’re detained for the purposes of a search’ and ‘spread ‘em’.

“One bag of cannabis later, the passenger was reported on summons for possession of a controlled drug and both were given a fixed penalty in relation to breaching the public health regulations.

“Save Lives. Stay at home. Protect the NHS.”