THE new High Sheriff for Cheshire is calling for the county’s residents to show kindness in the hope that the county becomes a ‘shining beacon’ in the battle against Covid-19.

Nick Hopkinson MBE DL, who was appointed to the role by the Queen earlier this month, is urging people to help each other during what he describes as 'a very difficult time'.

“My overriding message is to be kind. Think about how you can help you friend and neighbours. Support the public servants, be they police officers, fire and rescue crews or health workers. There is going to be huge pressure on all public services, and we can all do our bit to help.

“Coronavirus has changed the lives of every single one of us and for those who are well enough, every morning we have choices that we can make.

“We can choose to do exactly as the Chief Medical Officer tells us, which will help the pressure on the NHS and ultimately save many lives or we can choose that we know best and ignore the advice.”

He added: “I want this great county of Cheshire to be a shining beacon during this emergency. We have an amazing opportunity to lead the way, to set an example and to do exactly as we are told.

“How proud would you feel if Cheshire had low infection rates? How proud would you feel if every single isolated person had a neighbour looking out for them? How proud would you feel if our local hospitals could cope with the infected cases because we had kept them down by social distancing?

“The severity of the impact of Coronavirus in Cheshire is in our hands – in your hands. Please make the right decisions, please do as we are asked and stay home and stay apart, please protect the elderly and please be a kind and considerate neighbour.”