CORONAVIRUS deniers and ‘Covidiots’ are again feeling the wrath of Northwich’s mayor following an impassioned plea for residents to follow the rules.

Cllr Kevin Rimmer has previously spoken out against residents who refuse to wear a face covering or question the seriousness of the pandemic.

And the Greenbank representative, who works at Lostock Lodge care home, made his feelings perfectly clear again in this week’s Northwich Town Council meeting.

Following a discussion on the roll-out of the Covid vaccine and the recent rise in cases, Cllr Rimmer hit out at ‘the idiot minority that are breaking the rules’.

He said: “It’s not just down to the Government, it’s not just down to the police, it’s down to each and every one of us as individuals to toe the line and do what we need to do.

“As has been proven with these different strains – it’s getting worse, and worse, and worse.

“I’d challenge any idiot that thinks it’s some conspiracy theory – God forbid one of your loved ones ends up dying from it, because go and speak to family members and say ‘I still think it is a conspiracy’.

“It’s just wrong. Some of these people are just unbelievable and again, we might not have been put in this position now, if everybody had been abiding by what is put in place.”

Cllr Rimmer spoke on the day that Morrisons won praise from Health Secretary Matt Hancock for announcing it would turn away customers that refused to wear a face covering.

The mayor suggested that supermarkets ‘shouldn’t have been allowing them in anyway’ under the existing rules on face coverings – and highlighted a similar issue on public transport.

He added: “I am still using the train to get to and from work, and the amount of people that get on them trains without masks on.

“Yeah they can play this ‘I’m exempt’ card, and a lot of that will be absolute rubbish.

“But the guards on the trains don’t even speak to them – they just let them on and it’s wrong. It’s just not right.”

Northern, which runs services on the Mid Cheshire Line, says it expects its passengers will understand that the rule on face coverings is ‘in place for the safety of everyone’.

On the rail company’s website, a Northern spokesman said: “If you aren't wearing a face covering on board a train or at a station, you will be may be reminded by staff and British Transport Police, about the current regulations.

READ > 'Four years is too long for an excellent town like Northwich not to have enough public toilets'

“If you refuse to wear a face covering, you could be issued with a fixed penalty notice and have to pay a fine.

“Some people may not be able to wear a face covering due to medical conditions which may not always be apparent. Please do not confront other passengers.”

What do you think? Email yourviews@guardiangrp.co.uk