So here we are then, still locked down. Is it three weeks or four now? I’m beginning to lose count as the days all merge into each other.

It’s certainly a strange time – some might say unprecedented – but I suspect that for most people, all they can do is to try to make the best of things.

The Easter weekend was particularly emotionally difficult for us. It’s one of the times of the year when our family comes together for the long weekend but that obviously couldn’t happen this year.

And I suspect our feelings of loss and separation were replicated by many people up and down the country. As good as Zoom meetings, Skype and Facetime are, it’s not the same as having your family gathered round the dining table or in the garden for a barbecue.

But I also suspect there was quite a lot of covert ignoring of the lockdown restrictions going on.

With the police becoming more alert to larger gatherings, it looks to me that people have become a little more cunning about meeting up with friends and families in defiance of the government’s coronavirus regulations.

I base this on my own observations.

Take, for example, my next door neighbours. I don’t know where they were on Easter Sunday but they certainly weren’t locked down at home. I know this because I have been waiting for them to go out so I could creosote the fence we share and I didn’t want to splash their rather expensive car.

I thought I would get my chance when they nipped to the shops but I needn’t have worried given that they were out of the house from first thing in the morning until after dark so I was able to paint the fence at my leisure.

Or take, for example, the neighbours who live a couple of doors down the street from me who had a little party – including small children – over the weekend. There was clearly no attempt at social distancing and given the couple who live there are quite elderly, I really hope they come to no harm as a result.

So here’s my question for you all. As a good citizen concerned for your own health and the health of friends and family, what would you have done? Would you have called the police to break up a small gathering in a neighbour’s back garden or would you have shrugged and got on with looking after yourself?

The issue, as I see it, is as a nation we are not really that regimented. There’s a fairly strong libertarian tradition in this country, a sense of personal freedom. The idea of an East German-style Stasi, is not for us.

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Famously the Stasi was one of the most effective and repressive intelligence and secret police agencies ever to have existed, spying on the population mainly through a vast network of citizens-turned-informants.

And that’s not how we see ourselves – we are not citizens-turned-informants.

So I return to my question. Would you have called the police and informed on your neighbours?

For advice, I turned to Cheshire Police to see what they had to say.

The new rules include a ban on public gatherings of more than two people (unless they are members of the same household) and say you should only leave the house for exercise once a day, to shop for essential items, to travel to work ‘where absolutely necessary’ or for medical treatment.

That seems fairly clear to me. Cheshire Police, apparently want residents to report alleged breaches of coronavirus legislation on online.

Police have been given powers to arrest anyone who breaches these emergency laws or fine them up to £120, with officers allowed to use ‘reasonable force if necessary’.

A spokesman for Cheshire Police said: “The coronavirus situation has brought about an unprecedented public health emergency, and our top priorities are to maintain the best service to the public, protect officers and staff and support the national response.

“We’re pleased to see the public support for our people and the gestures of generosity to those working around the clock to keep people safe across Cheshire.

“We are in this together, and every one of us has a role to play by following government advice. We’re seeking to resolve situations where people appear to be or are contravening the government advice on physical social distancing and the stay at home measures without resorting to enforcement and issuing fines. Please only tell us about something if you feel there is a significant issue or breach which you think we need to know about.”

Sgt Rob Anderson said: “I do need to be realistic with you, we simply cannot enforce our way out of this one. We do have the powers to enforce as a last resort, however what dealing with this crisis requires is everyone in society to play their part.”

So to answer my question: Did I call the police about my neighbours? No, I didn’t. And I still don’t know whether or not I did the right thing.