A man has spoken about the moment police visited his home to check if he was self-isolating.

The man from Blackburn, who did not wish to be named, is a British citizen who had been away in Pakistan for a year. He returned to the UK on September 24, landing at Manchester Airport.

He was told by police who visited him on September 29 that he had been visiting ‘a number of places’, which he refuted immediately. It transpired he had given his dad’s phone number at the airport and it may have been this number the authorities had been tracking.

Travellers from Pakistan, as well as those not on the list of countries exempt from England’s travel quarantine rules, must self-isolate for 14 days or they face a fine.

He said: “I have not been out of the house since I came back from Pakistan. I had a test for coronavirus in Pakistan before I travelled which proved to be negative.

“When I got to the airport I gave my dad’s mobile and my home address which is the only contact I have. They wanted a UK contact. I did give my e mail address too which was requested.”

Government advice states that the ‘14-day period starts from the day after you leave a non-exempt country or territory’. The advice adds: ‘It can take up to 14 days for you to develop coronavirus symptoms after you catch the virus and in this time you can unknowingly pass it on to others, even if you don’t have symptoms’.

In England, if you do not self-isolate you can receive a fixed penalty notice of £1,000.

The 26-year-old added: “The officer called at our house and asked for me and told me there had been a complaint that I had been out and about to several places. I told them straight up I had not.

“I then explained my dad goes out to the park for a walk, to town for a walk and then to mosque to pray. She checked the mobile phone and then just asked how self-isolation was going and urged me continue staying home for another nine days.”

The man said it was a warning to anyone thinking that police would not visit.

He said: “Anyone thinking they won’t turn up to your house then think again. At least you know they are doing their job.

“They clearly must know when you are out and about.”

For those returning to Pakistan, it has been announced that from today, you will be required to ‘present evidence of a negative Covid-19 test taken up to 96 hours before the start of travel’.