POLICE are warning people not to travel into its Tier 2 area as Covid restrictions will be enforced through high-visibility patrols.

North Yorkshire Police has said it will only attend pubs and restaurants as 'a last resort' but vehicles travelling in and out of the county will continue to be monitored by number plate recognition equipment.

The force said local authorities and Trading Standards are leading the enforcement of business restrictions amid concern that people could travel from neighbouring Tier 3 zones into the area.

Superintendent Mike Walker, lead for the North Yorkshire Police Covid-19 response, said the force only act as a last resort to deal with people using the area's pubs and restaurants.

He added: “The introduction of a new set of regulations for the public and business owners to follow raises inevitable questions about the policing and enforcement of those regulations. So I’d like to be clear and state that North Yorkshire Police’s approach to policing the pandemic remains unchanged.

“It is our responsibility to keep the public of North Yorkshire safe, and we take that responsibility incredibly seriously. It’s what every police officer and member of police staff come to work to do and quite rightly, what the public expect of us.

“So, until the threat this virus poses is eradicated, we will continue to play our part in containing it. We will continue to engage with the public when we are out on patrol in our towns, villages and cities and we will speak to people and explain the regulations and encourage them to adhere to the guidance.

“Enforcement does play a part in our approach. But as we have previously stated, it is taken as a last resort with those who believe that the same rules and regulations which apply to each one of us, don’t apply to them. We all know that it only takes the poor decisions of a few, to jeopardise the hard work and self-sacrifice of many.

“As we know, the best way to beat this virus is to work together, so we will continue to work closely alongside our local authority partners and other agencies to ensure our response is coordinated and effective.

“We police by consent, so we do need the support of the public to ensure we succeed in our collective task. So thank you to all those people and businesses who are working with us and have adapted to the new tiers and who are continuing to act responsibly for the safety of the most vulnerable among us.”