The interpretation of Covid -19 rules at local level has been ludicrous at times

One appalling example was the Welsh Tesco that recently stopped a customer buying ‘non-essential’ sanitary products; another is Belfast City Council removing benches from the area around CS Lewis Square.

My understanding is that a council representative told Jack café staff at East Belfast Visitor Centre — necessarily a takeaway at present — to remove three benches in the area, but these were in fact council benches.

A day later, the council removed two of these benches (the third having, by then, been discreetly moved further away by a well-wisher).

One assumes a presumption that people were supporting this local business by quaffing takeaway coffee at these benches. Well, so what if they were? This is mean-spirited, absurd and prejudicial to the wider public using this leisure/exercise area.

What next? Will they tie up all the swings in parks just in case a grandfather pushes a child from a different household? This is pure nanny state stuff.

Put the benches back, I say, and get off the backs of businesses already crippled in these difficult times.

Dr Colin Harper, Belfast BT4

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