Police issued over 100 fines for COVID regulation breaches this weekend
Local police issued 110 fines to people flouting lockdown rules this weekend – with offences ranging from flat parties to travelling dozens of miles for fast food.
Greater Manchester Police confirmed that 16 Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) were issued to attendees of a house party on Peregrine Street in Hulme on Saturday (January 16).
On the same night, a further 27 fines were distributed at an address on Greengate in Salford, with officers also dispersing a crowd of over 40 people at a flat on Derby Street in Cheetham Hill.
Four FPNs were also issued to the passengers of a vehicle travelling from Preston to Bolton to collect a takeaway.
Since August, GMP have distributed over 2,600 fines for COVID breaches.
Chief Inspector Carol Martin of GMP’s COVID response team said the instances of “blatant disregard” for the rules were “incredibly frustrating.”
“Not only are they putting their own lives and those of their loves [sic] ones at stake, they also risk undoing the hard work of everyone else continuing to make the necessary sacrifices at this time,” said the CI.
“We would like to reassure people that dedicated teams of officers are responding to reports of non-compliance and are continuing to follow the national lead by engaging with members of the public, explaining the law and encouraging compliance, but our officers will not hesitate to take enforcement action if people are found to be flouting the rules.”
A group of friends from Manchester were also fined £200 each over the weekend after driving to Staffordshire for a McDonald’s.
The occupants – who all reside at different addresses – were issued with individual penalties for travelling outside of their local area.
Staffordshire Police confirmed they had stopped the vehicle of friends at the fast food restaurant on the A50 near Uttoxeter – roughly 68 miles from Manchester.
The force tweeted: “Group of friends from Manchester area not having legitimate reasons to be here other than going to McDonalds!”
Officers added: “Please stay at home unless necessary!”
National lockdown regulations state that people must not leave their homes unless they have a reasonable excuse to do so – such as for work or education purposes.
The government has also stated that anyone who needs to travel “should stay local” – which means avoiding travelling outside of their own village, town or the part of a city where they live.