COVID-19 marshals tasked with keeping the public safe during the coronavirus pandemic have faced abuse while carrying out their role, it has been revealed.

Councillor Bill McEwan, who represents Ormsgill on Barrow Council, said he was one of the first councillors to see the new marshals at work as they started last weekend.

Speaking at a meeting of the council's scrutiny committee this week, he said: “I saw them at the weekend and I asked them how it’s all going.

“They told me that they get a lot of abuse from the youngsters.

“Now I have to say the marshals are not there to be abused, they are there to help.

“I say just take what they have to say and abide by the rules and we will all have a good Christmas.”

The marshals are not responsible for enforcement, council environmental licensing officer Graham Barker said, but instead acted as "the eyes and ears of the council" during the Covid-19 crisis.

“They are also responsible for cleaning touch points – such as door handles and seats – along with the everyday items that a person touches as they go to the shops," he added.

"So, even the buttons you touch to cross the roads will be cleaned by the marshals.”

%image('12106039', type='article-full', caption='AIMS: Graham Barker, Barrow Council's environmental licensing officer, believes marshals could operate until the end of next summer', alt='AIMS: Graham Barker, Barrow Council's environmental licensing officer, believes marshals could operate until the end of next summer')

Mr Barker said the marshals could be on streets until the end of next summer and believes they should be funded by Cumbria County Council to operate in Barrow, Dalton, Askam and Ireleth.

He said: "They are with us for another 12 weeks.

"However, we have asked for funding from the county council's coronavirus budget to extend the Covid marshals through to the end of the summer.

“They started last weekend, for their first shift.

"It was a quiet lockdown weekend but the feedback has been good from the public when they ask the marshals why they are there and what are they up to.”

%image('12106040', type='article-full', caption='MARSHALS: Have faced abuse but could be set to stay in their roles beyond the initial 12-week period', alt='MARSHALS: Have faced abuse but could be set to stay in their roles beyond the initial 12-week period')

Mr Barker also outlined further benefits of having marshals at night.

He said: “Having the extra marshals after dark has also helped the town’s night economy.

"The night marshals are SIA registered door staff, so they have the additional health and safety training.

“The licensing police attend a briefing together with the marshals before they all go out together.”

The application for extending the funding for the marshals will be raised at the council's licensing committee next week.

Councillor Lee Roberts, deputy leader of Barrow Borough Council, said the overall response from the community has been positive.

He said: "Covid marshals have been offering advice and support to residents and businesses across the borough for a week now to make sure people feel safe while they are out and about. "Overall the response has been really positive to their introduction in towns and villages borough-wide. We've received good feedback from the community on their work."