Concern over workers brought in to Sutherland to weed Christmas trees
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Fears have been voiced over foreign workers drafted into a Sutherland town to weed Christmas trees despite the current pandemic lockdown.
Community leaders in Dornoch say they are hugely concerned that the workers, understood to be Romanian, present a Covoid-19 risk to the local population.
But police have responded that working to maintain crops is deemed an “essential task” and that Christmas trees are regarded as crops. It was incumbent on those involved in the work to maintain social distancing rules.
However, community councillors are still so worried about the potential to spread coronavirus that they are now contacting constituency MP Jamie Stone about the issue.
Mr Stone has been vociferous about the need for individuals and families, living elsewhere, to stay at home and not travel to the Highlands.
The dozen or so labourers were brought into Sutherland in two large transport vehicles which have been reported as having foreign number plates. It is said that they are being put up in accommodation locally.
Concern was first voiced on Tuesday by a local resident who saw the workers and contacted the community council.
The man, who does not want to be named, said: I’m still very concerned as I feel they should not be here at present and could pose a serious threat to our community."
Community council treasurer Patrick Murray and chairwoman Yvonne Ross contacted East Sutherland and Edderton ward councillor Jim McGillivray who asked police for their advice.
Police Scotland officer Dominic Corocran, of Sutherland Community Partnership, responded that a similar concern had been raised in the Black Isle recently.
Replying to Cllr McGillivray he wrote: “It will surprise you to know that Christmas trees are regarded as crops and like crops, if not properly tended to they will be ruined.
“This means working to maintain them is deemed essential.
“In terms of the nationality of the workforce, it is a fair assumption that they will not have arrived into the UK after lockdown meaning any Covid19 concerns would be the same as they would be for UK nationals doing the same job.
“It is the responsibility of their employer and the individual to ensure that they work within social distancing rules as much as is practically possible given the job they do.”
Mr Murray is now calling for a change to be made to the lockdown legislation.
He said: “Unless they (the workers) have been rigorously tested which I doubt, they presumably represent a significant Covid-19 risk to the entire area.
“I cannot believe that this sort of movement of people is legal for Christmas trees even if it is legal for food production/picking.”
"It appears to me that the law should be changed because clearly endangering lives for food production is one thing, but doing so for Christmas trees is another.
“Weeding Christmas trees is hardly essential for the survival of the nation during Covid-19.”
People travelling to the Highlands will be fined unless they return home
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