Confusion has broken out in a town that straddles both England and Wales as it faces being in Tier 1 and a ‘fire break’ lockdown at the same time.
Knighton, which has 3,172 inhabitants, sits nestled in a valley 162 miles from London and 81 miles from Cardiff.
The majority of the small town’s population – 3,007 people – live in Powys, Wales, where a 17-day ‘fire break’ lockdown begins tonight, mandating people stay at home except for very limited purposes such as exercise or employment.
But 140 residents and the town’s railway station are located across the River Teme in Shropshire, England, which is currently at a medium Covid-19 alert level, meaning people are still able to move around freely.
Knighton, map of town pictured above, straddles both Shropshire and Powys. The town’s railway station and 140 of its inhabitants live across the River Teme in Shropshire, England
The majority of its residents live in Wales, where a ‘fire break’ lockdown begins tonight, while the English part of the town remains at a medium Covid-19 alert level (town centre pictured)
The train station which sits on the English side of Knighton in Shropshire. Dyfed-Powys Police, which oversees the majority of the town, said that it is working with West Mercia Police
Nick Johns, Knighton’s mayor, said: ‘It is a bit of a minefield with the rules.’
He recalled people being ‘afraid’ of coming to Wales, where restrictions remained stricter earlier in the year as the UK-wide lockdown was being eased.
The mayor said: ‘We had to meet people in the station car park, because people wouldn’t come.’
Speaking of the border, he added: ‘It didn’t matter before, it was irrelevant.’
It is not the first time restrictions have differed as the response to the pandemic has evolved over the last six months, leaving Knighton’s population to grapple with the fallout.
For nearly a week, the Welsh government has banned people from Covid-19 hotspots in England crossing the border – a move the organisation representing police officers branded ‘unenforceable’.
Dyfed-Powys Police, which oversees the majority of the town, confirmed to MailOnline that it is working with West Mercia Police, which covers Shropshire, to ensure residents comply with guidelines.
Devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are responsible for enacting their own Covid-19 measures, and in recent weeks have adopted more stringent rules than the UK government in England.
The welcome sign in Knighton, with picture taken from England. The town sits nestled in a valley 162 miles from London and 81 miles from Cardiff
Customers are seen in the Clock Tower Tea Shop in Knighton. It is not the first time restrictions have differed as the response to the pandemic has evolved over the last six months
Customers in the Clock Tower Tea Shop in Knighton, a town that sits between England and Wales. People must stay at home in Wales from 6pm, except for ‘very limited’ purposes
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has stuck with more localised lockdowns, targeting areas with the highest case numbers.
But Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford on Monday announced that his nation of around three million people would go back into lockdown from 6pm (1700 GMT) on Friday until November 9.
The scattershot approach to restrictions has left some grumbling in Knighton, in particular retailers who find themselves dealing with confused customers.
‘They don’t seem to work together, the UK should be the UK,’ said Chris Branford, who runs a teashop in the town, referring to the governments in London and Cardiff.
‘It’s very difficult for businesses,’ she added, between taking the temperatures of arriving customers.
Ian Ross, who runs a rally driving experience company in nearby Worcestershire in England but lives in Wales, echoed the criticism.
‘It’s not as clear as I think it should be really. I think everybody should be under the same umbrella really, all the rules should be the same for everyone,’ he told AFP.
Knighton’s residents, or the majority who live on the Welsh side, must comply with the draconian new restrictions incoming despite the town having fewer virus cases per head than big cities like Swansea and Cardiff.
Window cleaner Simon Victress cleans the windows of shops that will shut down for two weeks during Wales’ fire break lockdown, to combat the Covid-19 pandemic in the town of Knighton
A member of staff at the Knighton Flower Box florists decorates the front of the shop in Knighton, a town that sits on the border between England and Wales, on Wednesday
A couple wearing a fce visor and mask due to the Covid-19 pandemic go shopping in Knighton on Wednesday. England sits just on the other side of the River Teme
However Johns was confident it would still ‘get by’.
‘Businesses are still fairly strong, we haven’t seen business failure so far, so it’s all good I think,’ he said.
Local publican Holly Adams-Evans admitted having two different sets of rules for one town was ‘difficult’, but struck a similarly upbeat tone.
‘It makes it a bit confusing,’ she said from behind her bar, before adding: ‘hopefully we’ll be OK’.
Together with her partner, they have managed to keep on the pub’s six employees after rebounding well over the summer following the easing of the first lockdown.
Posters on the walls of the former bank remind drinkers of the distance they must observe as they move through the establishment: roughly the size of a cow.
However, the pair do fear potentially losing their regulars to pubs on the English side of the border which will still be able to open.
Chris Brandford wearing a mask due to the Covid-19 pandemic serving teas and coffees in the Clock Tower Tea Shop in the small town of Knighton on Wednesday
Mayor of Knighton, Nick Johns, poses standing on the border between England and Wales in the town of Knighton on Wednesday, ahead of Wales going into a fire break lockdown
Local publican Holly Adams-Evans admitted having two different sets of rules for one town was ‘difficult’, but struck a similarly upbeat tone (sign to Offa’s Dyke, pictured)
A general view of the town of Knighton. The approach to restrictions has left some grumbling in the area, in particular retailers who find themselves dealing with confused customers
‘It’s always a worry for any business to lose its loyal customers that matter so much,’ she said.
It seems the pub can at least count on the long-term loyalty of Douglas Rumble, a lively septuagenarian with a white mane who said he frequents it ‘eight days a week’ and dislikes the differing rules.
‘What’s the point of acting as four different individual countries?’ Rumble, who lives on the English side of town, implored, as his dogs – two Welsh shepherds – waited patiently for biscuits.
‘We might be different from the rest of the world, but we’re an island, and we gotta act as one.’
A spokesperson for Dyfed-Powys Police said: ‘Dyfed-Powys Police serve the communities of Knighton, Powys. However, we understand that our communities along the border are in a unique position.
‘We are working closely with our colleagues in West Mercia Police to ensure that together we are able to support our communities in complying with the guidelines and regulations to regain control of coronavirus across our communities.
‘Anyone who isn’t clear on the regulations is encouraged to visit the Welsh Government website.’
The force added: ‘Residents will be aware if they live in England or Wales, and they are to follow the restrictions based on the country in which they reside.’