THAMES Valley Police were deployed to more than 1,100 alleged breaches of the coronavirus lockdown over the last week.

These are primarily to group gatherings, the force revealed.

With Thames officers issuing the second highest number of fines in the country chief superintendent Christian Bunt stressed the importance of people following the government restrictions amid the pandemic.

He said: "Where we have deployed for virus-related reports, these are primarily to group gatherings that are happening at that time.

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"That is because they pose the greatest health risks by gathering and then dispersing back into our communities.

"With minor breaches, such as people reporting those who have taken multiple walks in a day, we may not be responding right there and then but that does not mean we are ignoring them."

Mr Bunt also reiterated that the public's assistance has been vital during the crisis and that reports from residents have helped the force understand patterns and hotspots of rule-breakers.

He added: "We want to make sure we are visible, provide reassurance and be a deterrent to those who think these rules do not apply to them.

"Encouraging or enforcing the social distancing measures is a priority for the force and we have dedicated patrols in place to do this."