Boris Johnson: Don’t snitch on your mingling neighbours, talk to them

Two ministers have urged people to report friends they see breaking social-distancing rules

The prime minister and home minister have different advice for people breaking coronavirus orders. Bloomberg

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has issued a ‘talk first, report second’ message to people who see friends or neighbours breaking social-distancing rules.

He spoke on Thursday after two senior ministers, including Home Secretary Priti Patel, said “mingling” was illegal under Covid-19 restrictive orders and that friends should inform on friends they see breaking the new rules.

The new orders came into force on Monday and include a limit of six people meeting from two households.

Across the country, some local lockdowns have previously been imposed, and new ones are being considered for the north-east as infection rates rise.

“I have never much been in favour of sneak culture, myself,” he said.

“What people should do in the first instance is obviously if they are concerned is raise it with their friends and neighbours.

“But I think what is reasonable for anyone to do is if they think there is a serious threat to public health as a result of their neighbour's activities – if there is some huge kind of Animal House party taking place, as I am sure, hot tubs and so forth, and there is a serious threat to public health then it's reasonable for the authorities to know.”

Home Secretary Priti Patel has said "mingling" is not allowed under England’s new rule-of-six restrictions and claimed she would call police on neighbours if she believed they were breaking the rules.

"If I saw something that I thought was inappropriate, then quite frankly I would effectively call the police," she said.

“Mingling has been banned. Mingling is people coming together. You have to put this in the context of coronavirus, wearing masks, keeping distance.

“The rule of six is about making sure people are being conscientious and not putting other people’s health at risk. People can exercise their own judgement.”

Policing minister Kit Malthouse also called on people to report their neighbours to a non-emergency police number.