Road accidents are rising as people take advantage of the ease in lockdown rules to travel more, warn police.

Superintendent Simon Mills of Suffolk police said that demand on the force is returning to pre-lockdown levels with crime and traffic incidents both rising in recent weeks.

However, he praised the people of Suffolk for sticking to the rules, saying the force had issued barely any fixed penalty notices for breaches of 'the rule of six' or social distancing rules.

"We are seeing more of our normal demand come back now," said the officer.

"So crime demand has gone up again as people aren't at home as much. There's more traffic on the roads as well so we are dealing with more road traffic collisions as well.

"So that's where we are focusing our attention really is getting back to where the new normality is going to be but in the back of our minds is going to be supporting the Government around the easing of lockdown."

He said the number of fixed penalty notices being issued in the county was now lower than it had been.

"What we have seen over the last week is we have issued very few fixed penalty tickets," said Supt Mills.

"Some of that is because of the change of regulations it's a little bit harder to enforce that. So things like the rule of six and people mixing."

Supt Mills reminded the public that the new rules allow six people from any number of households to meet up, but more than six people can meet if they are from no more than two households or support bubbles.

He said the confusion meant some believed rules were being broken when they saw larger groups but this was not in fact the case.