CURRENT lockdown restrictions have been criticised by Oxfordshire residents as not being tough enough.

Under the rules, which are set to be in place until at least February 15, non-essential shops, gyms, leisure centres, beauty salons and schools are closed.

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But unlike the first lockdown, residents say more people are out and about despite the stay at home order.

On Sunday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock did not rule out strengthening current lockdown restrictions and told the BBC's Andrew Marr that the NHS was under 'very serious pressure'.

We asked our readers whether they think lockdown rules should be stricter and here's what you said:

KERRY LOUISE: “All the superfluous things need to be closed. Costa, Greggs, garden centres etc. They are not essential.”

SABRINA FRANKS: “What needs to happen is a tighter criteria on what an essential worker is, there is much more flexibility to work now than in the first lockdown. Tell me how garden centres, coffee shops, bakeries and all early years settings are open?

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“As someone who has worked with young children for years to have more than the key worker children in is a big mistake.

“Children of that age are too young to understand what is going on and personally I don’t think I went a day without telling a child not to lick/eat/bite something they shouldn’t be.

“There also needs to be more support for those who are excluded from the schemes - those who started a new job after the cut off date are not eligible for any support, along with the self employed who have been mainly forgotten about.”

SHAMIM KASHIM: “No, no, no. It won’t make a shred of difference closing eg WHSmiths when it has two customers in the whole store at any one time. The terrible rates of infection and deaths have arisen because lockdown was imposed too late (again).”

MARIANNE BOYCE: “Curfew might be the right thing to do.”

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RACH DUKE: “I wouldn’t know what others are up to, apart from when the media reports it. I only leave my house to do the food shopping once a week and to go for walks around the estate with the household.”

EMMA JANE: “Yes definitely. In my street alone people are carrying on as normal, multiple different families visiting each other, inside and outside gatherings, carrying on with business as usual, makes me so angry.”

KEVIN JEDYNOWICZ: “Yes, yes, yes. Full lockdown of all shops including food shops (with warning). No work for anyone except emergency workers, no leaving your house.

“Do this for two weeks, job done. Should get rid of 99 per cent of the virus.

“I’m sure there would be difficulties and there would be logistics to sort, but when everyone is still going out for things and exercise etc, they will be spending the virus.

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“As harsh as it is the countries that have done the best at combating this are the countries that have been the most strict.”

TERESA HOGAN: “We are a soft bloody country. People are allowed to exercise, most shops are allowed to stay open - it’s nothing like the first lockdown even though apparently the virus is more ‘out of control now’.

“They obviously don’t want a harder lockdown or they would have enforced it.”

ASH LI: “Is there a lockdown in place? Because I can’t see anyone following.”

LUKE WOLSEY: “Yes. Costa coffee is not an essential and encouraging people to come out for coffee.”

MARTIN JORDAN: “Can’t understand why the population are popping out for a coffee. Is there a shortage on working kettles?”

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CLARE MORTIMER: “Yes especially Bicester village click and collect. People travelling all over to collect things. Really don’t think a Prada bag is essential.”

ANDY DOWNES: “Yes it should be stricter. I work in Reading (at a car dealership) the roads are as busy as a normal day.”

LEIGH BUTLER: “No idea. I work from home, walk the dog and a once a week trip to Tesco."

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