POLICE are "finding it hard" to keep up with Government changes as England enters a second lockdown, Hampshire Police Federation claims.

The nation fell into a second lockdown on November 5 following a Government announcement, which brought with it police powers to issue fines to people who are breaking the rules as in the first lockdown.

With this, the Hampshire Police Federation has said that officers are finding it "hard to keep up" with the changes, but “want to do their public service in helping the country get through this".

Zoë Wakefield, Chair of Hampshire Police Federation, said that despite Hampshire's infection rate being "under control", the announcement of the second lockdown has "thrown it all up in the air again".

Zoë said: “It’s hard to keep up with the constant changes.

"Everyone had got their heads around the rule of six; I think that was one of the simpler rules to understand and it was going reasonably well.

“We’re quite fortunate in this area – our infection rates, even though they’ve been going up, have been sort of in control.

"But the announcement at the weekend has now thrown that all up in the air again.”

She said that even though it was difficult for officers, “they’ve also got a sense of duty”.

“They want to be a part of it, want to do their bit to help, and want to do their public service in helping the country get through this,” she added.

Zoë said that they were all waiting to see what the legislation would look like and what new laws they would have to police.

In an interview with Sky News, PFEW Chair John Apter said: “We are stretched like never before because we’re policing in a way like never before.

“But in protecting the NHS from being overwhelmed, what I don’t want is for policing to be overwhelmed, because that is a real risk.”