Three serving police officers are among those who have received warnings over breaching emergency powers.

More than 450 people have been warned over breaches of emergency powers regulations and at least 26 have received a custodial sentence in the Manx courts.

Most of those jailed had received at least one warning before being sentenced.

The Manx Independent was tipped off by a reader claiming to be a police officer who named two officers he said had been found to have breached the regulations on movement in mid-May.

’This is totally wrong as a large number of members of the public have been given custodial sentences and I believe telling you this is in the public interest,’ they said, adding they had been ’angered’ by the situation.

We asked the police to confirm or deny the allegations.

However, we had to go through the Freedom of Information system to find out what had happened.

Information gleaned from that request revealed that a total of three officers had been warned for breaching the regulations imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The FoI response said: ’The three officers identified were assessed and dealt with in line with the Police (Conduct) Regulations 2015.

’Given the nature of the incidents they were dealt with in line with the other 450 members of the public who were warned. They were engaged and educated, this was recorded as per all other breaches at this level.’

A police spokesman said: ’The Constabulary will not comment on any individual cases. Its approach to the emergency powers has always been engagement, explanation, encouragement, and when that has failed, enforcement.

’Over 450 people were warned about breaches of the regulations.’