No-nonsense signs have been put up in a town centre telling visitors to stay away.

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As part of its efforts to stop people congregating, Medway Council has erected the posters in Rochester.

One of them tells people exercising to "jog on" while another warns of fines for those without reasons to be there.

The authority says it is acting following concerns about the number of people visiting the historic town.

This included a 30-year-old Strood man stopped by police, driving around to reminisce about his university days.

However, the tough talk has been described as "too little, too late", by one of the area's ward councillors.

Labour's Alex Paterson has criticised the Tory-led council saying he's been calling for actions for months.

He said: “I was already asking people from December 4 not to come to Rochester to protect residents from Covid.

“Two months on, the council are only just beginning this campaign.

“I want to know why this campaign didn’t begin when the situation was worse."

"I don't understand why this didn't begin when cases were rising so fast during December.

"I think the council and the Conservatives have to be held responsible for the amount of mixed messages residents have received.

"Stuart Tranter [fellow ward councillor] was encouraging people the day after Rochester was announced as being in a Tier 4 area, to attend a farmers' market as it was safer to shop outdoors than inside at a supermarket, even though there is scientific evidence against this claim.

"I think his information was completely bogus, people needed to stay home to protect themselves, others and the NHS, we need fewer people on the Rochester High Street to achieve that."

He added: "I want to say thank you to the residents of Rochester for their patience and endurance.

"The vast majority of people have followed the rules but there will always be a few that think the guidelines don't apply to them. People need to stay away and stop the spreading of the virus."

In response to Cllr Paterson's claims, Cllr Tranter said: "I tweeted the farmers' market was going ahead because of uncertainty around the recent changes to the Tier 4 system at the time.

"Because I tweeted the confirmation of the market going ahead, members of the Labour group commented I was encouraging unnecessary travel.

"I wasn't, I was just stating that it was indeed still going ahead as it was offering essential food for sale in a safe outdoor space. All while supporting local businesses."

Talking about the new signs, the Tory added: "If I had seen the signs before they were printed I would've made the wording a little more friendly.

"It is mostly quiet along the High Street but if its a sunny day more people do come to the town. People should do what they have to and then leave.

"This is a serious problem, people only need to come for their essential reason and then move on. The council is following government guidelines and are doing their best in a time when everyone has an opinion.

"People are acting with their best intentions and everyone wants to keep people safe."

Council leader Cllr Alan Jarrett has re-iterated the importance of people following lockdown rules.

Referring to the Strood man, he said: “At a time when our NHS still faces a significant strain, residents are urged to stay at home. What if he would have been involved in an incident and required emergency treatment?”

“Avoid becoming one of the police’s figures and facing a fine of up to £1,000 – stay local and only make essential journeys. This will help to reduce the spread of the virus and protect vulnerable people.

"If I had seen the signs before they were printed I would've made the wording a little more friendly"- Stuart Tranter

“We will continue to support the police in their efforts to drive down the rate of coronavirus in Medway and surrounding areas and would ask the public to play their part and follow government advice.”

High Street resident Philip Ruby isn't a fan of the signs.

The 73-year-old said: "These signs are very confusing. I don't understand what they expect to happen when cafes are still open offering takeaways, obviously people will come to the High Street if shops are still open to browse.

"I don't see the point of the street wardens either, they have no power over people wearing masks or socially distancing.

"It is difficult for the council to control, but the new signs are silly, they contradict one another and the message isn't particularly helpful.

"Most people are being sensible but I don't think there is much the council can do about the footfall along the High Street."

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