RESIDENTS have been warned they "should expect" to be slapped with a fine if they breach coronavirus rules while exercising outdoors.

Hampshire police has said the public should follow lockdown rules by staying in their village, town or part of a city they live in.

The Daily Echo has sought a response from the force and Hampshire County Council (HCC) over their understanding on the coronavirus regulations.

This comes after different interpretations and approaches have been taken across the country.

Superintendent Phil Lamb said: "We all have a responsibility to follow both the regulations and the guidance in place to protect the NHS and save lives.

"Those who do not follow the regulations in place to limit the spread of the virus should expect to receive a fine."

He added: "As per the Government guidance, ‘stay local’ means stay in the village, town or part of the city where you live. The guidance strongly requests that people do not leave their local area.

"Police officers will be inquisitive about why people are out of their homes and will continue to engage with the public, explain the regulations, and encourage people to comply.

"Where people are breaching the regulations and are away from home without a reasonable excuse, officers may take enforcement action and issue a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN). In situations where people are breaching the guidance not to travel out of their local area, but are not breaching regulations, officers will encourage people to follow the guidance."

However, Mr Lamb did stress they are confident the majority of people will act responsibly, respect the rules and guidance.

A HCC spokesperson stressed exercise should be done locally "wherever possible", adding the public should continue to keep a 2m distance from anyone not in their household or support bubble. 

The spokesperson added: "Over the past seven days we have begun to see a slow and gradual decline in the number of cases in Hampshire, which shows that by sticking to the rules and following these simple behaviours, we can all make a difference.

"Now, more than ever, we must keep working together to prevent further spread of the virus, protect our communities and save lives.”