The death of Sgt Matt Ratana last week was a terrible tragedy, and highlights the dangerous work our police officers and support staff do on our behalf every single day.
Officers in Blackpool dealt with a dangerous situation and a highly-distressed gentleman in a bank just days ago, and I know these officers have all our gratitude for all of the work they do to keep us all safe.
It was Police Memorial Day on Sunday, a poignant day to remember the work of our law enforcement officers – these recent events are all the more reason to pay tribute to our law enforcement officers.
In Home Office Questions, in Parliament, I asked where the Government was up to on its promise to recruit 20,000 more police officers – something I know was important to residents here in Fylde.
Secretary of State Kit Malthouse told me he understood my impatience to see those officers on the street. There have been more than 100,000 applications from people to become police officers and so far we have recruited more than 4,300 – ahead of the Government’s schedule.
I note the Covid-19 infection rate has surged in Fylde once again. When extra lockdown measures were introduced, it was because our figures had risen from 16 to 36. We are now looking at more than 100.
As difficult as it is, we must abide by the laws and guidelines to help stop the spread of this awful virus, and I thank everyone for wearing masks, washing their hands, and for socially distancing. It is difficult to not share our homes with loved ones again, but it is for the best reason – to keep each other safe.
I mentioned the flu jab in last week’s column and I make no apology for mentioning it again, We have the largest flu immunisation programme we have ever seen taking place right now. More than 30 million people are eligible and it is vital everyone gets one. The flu makes people more susceptible to Coronavirus, and not being immunised will put further pressure on our NHS this winter.