CONCERNS have been raised an invasion of Tier 4 residents visiting north Essex has pushed up the coronavirus infection rates.

The number of cases across Colchester and Tendring districts has doubled in the past week.

It comes as Colchester officials have called on residents living in Tier 3 and 4 hotspots to stay away.

Mike Lilley, Colchester Council’s public safety boss, has written to the town’s MP Will Quince to ask if police can be given extra powers to stop outsiders coming in.

Mr Lilley said: “I’ve had people asking me about why people from Tier 4 areas are allowed to come into Colchester to visit.

“Saturday night there were sightings of taxis from Braintree and Chelmsford, dropping people off in the town.

“I have asked the police if they have any plans to stop people on the A12 but they say no, they only have patrols planned in the town and outer areas.

“It’s a no win situation as shops need the business but it could lead to Colchester going into Tier 4 because of the influx of people.

“The police say it’s not in the latest guidelines but it is leaving Colchester open to infection spreading.”

Can you look at reviewing the guidelines and take action against the spread please?”

Government guidelines say residents in Tier 4 areas should not visit areas in Tier 2 like Colchester, however, there is no law in place to stop them.

One taxi driver contacted the Gazette to say drivers were concerned after being told not to question the reasons behind people’s fares.

He said: “I have been told ‘it’s not our problem, as long as they are paying the fair’. Surely that’s wrong?

“A lot of drivers aren’t happy about this.”

But Charlie Isbell, chairman of the Colchester Taxi and Hackney Carriage Association, said it wasn’t down to drivers to police people’s actions.

“Taxi drivers are only doing their job. They are not going to question a person getting into the car,” he said.

Mr Quince said Government guidance was clear residents in Tier 4 areas should not be visiting places like Colchester and said there were other factors contributing to the rising infection rate.

He said: “The reality is if you look at Colchester’s numbers they have increased significantly and that won’t be just because people are coming into the town, it will be because there’s still too much interaction between people living here.

“We need to do more in terms of hands, face, space and sticking to the guidelines.

“The threat of us going into Tier 3 or Tier 4 is real and over the past week our cases have increased by about 100 per cent.

“We need to encourage people to take personal responsibility.

“At the moment the numbers are rising at an alarming rate across Essex.

“I’ve been contacted by lots of people who aren’t going to see their loved ones at Christmas, and I won’t be either, but we have a responsibility to keep the pressure off the NHS.

“The police aren’t going to be setting up a road block on the A12 and they are in a difficult position themselves.

“We are relying on people to do the right thing.”