KEY workers, including teachers and support staff, should be prioritised in getting their coronavirus vaccine.

That's according to Cheshire West and Chester Council's Labour group, which is calling on all key workers to receive doses of the Covid jab now that it has been offered to those aged 60 and above, as well as those who are clinically vulnerable.

Cllr Louise Gittins, leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council, said: "The Government should protect key workers who have protected all of us during the pandemic – anything else is a betrayal of those who have kept us safe."

It follows comments from Cheshire police and crime commissioner David Keane, who said it was a "betrayal of our hardworking frontline" workers not to vaccinate those at risk of catching and spreading deadly Covid-19.

He added he had written to the Prime Minster to call for him to make an urgent U-turn on the decision that would "never be forgiven".

Cllr Bob Cernik, CWaC Cabinet Member for Children & Families, added in respect of schools: "I support the reopening of schools where it is safe to do so given the impact school closure has on the education, health and wellbeing of children.

"The Government has rejected the cautious phased return approach of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and I support teaching unions in their call for a safe and considered return of students.

"I have confidence in school leaders to reopen schools safely next week, with robust risk assessments in place and continued following of public health advice.

"The focus of this council continues to be protecting children, families and school staff."

Mr Keane's letter to the Prime Minister, in respect of police officers, said: "Police officers and staff put themselves and their families at risk everyday by working in close contact with those who may be carrying the virus. But you have let them down by your failure to protect them through the vaccination programme.

“Sadly, at least 22 police officers and staff, including one of our own in Cheshire, have lost their lives to Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic and many more have been hospitalised and are still suffering the long-term effects of the disease.

“The risks associated with frontline policing and contracting the virus are grave. The nature of policing means officers have to get up close and personal with members of the public. We’re seeing Covid-19 increasingly used as a weapon on our streets with recorded incidents of offenders spitting or coughing at officers increasing. There’s been 126 in Cheshire alone since last March.

“Sending our officers into these situations without appropriate protection against Covid-19 is equivalent to sending them into a public disorder incident without riot gear.

“Police and crime commissioners and chief constables have done their bit to ensure officers have access to sufficient PPE but this doesn’t provide the sufficient protection needed. Vaccines would do so much more.

“This isn’t about police officers jumping the queue. We all need access to the vaccine in order to beat this public health emergency. But it is a failure that your current prioritisation programme puts someone who can work from home as a priority above those serving the public on the frontline.

“This has to be about individual risk. We have a duty of care to protect those who protect our society.

“I urge you to stop betraying our hardworking frontline police officers and staff and reduce the risk of them catching this deadly disease and spreading it vulnerable people in our communities, putting even greater strain on our already stretched public services.

“We need your government to commit to protecting all of our key workers in the same way they have protected our wider communities during this pandemic on behalf of your government.”