PeteHall
Moderator
In this case, the additional risk the climbers have put people at is associated with their chosen exercise activity (relative to their level of ability), not the fact that they drove half an hour to get there. It would have been the same situation if someone from Cheddar had done the same thing, but I doubt that it would have got half the attention.
Presumably this is why the government did not mention travel distance in the law, simply what you are allowed to leave for.
Regardless of the perceived rights or wrongs of what they did, the law is the law. If they broke it, they should expect a fine. If they didn't break it, they should not be fined. There really is no debate.
Obviously this may be a case of poor reporting, the climbers may have told the police they had travelled to Cheddar to see the sunset, which is not a permitted reason to leave home at the moment, regardless of the distance. In which case the fine would be legal, even if they lived in Cheddar.
I'm not saying I agree with this, simply that the police need to work within the law, just like everyone else.
Presumably this is why the government did not mention travel distance in the law, simply what you are allowed to leave for.
Regardless of the perceived rights or wrongs of what they did, the law is the law. If they broke it, they should expect a fine. If they didn't break it, they should not be fined. There really is no debate.
Obviously this may be a case of poor reporting, the climbers may have told the police they had travelled to Cheddar to see the sunset, which is not a permitted reason to leave home at the moment, regardless of the distance. In which case the fine would be legal, even if they lived in Cheddar.
I'm not saying I agree with this, simply that the police need to work within the law, just like everyone else.