POLICE ISSUE 37 FINES IN PAST FORTNIGHT TO RULE-BREAKERS
£23.5K WORTH OF PENALTIES AS PEOPLE FLOUT RESTRICTIONS
POLICE have handed out 37 fines worth £23,500 to those breaking Covid19 rules in just the last two weeks.
Two of them were maximum penalty fines issued to two people for holding gatherings for more than 30 people.
Two people were slapped with £10,000 fines on December 12 for holding a gathering of more than 60 people at a flat in King Street, in the city centre.
A further four were fined for failing to self-isolate.
Assistant Chief Constable Julia Debenham said: “The party in King Street is a perfect example of how some people are deliberately making the choice to ignore the rules.”
Now, the force is reinforcing the message that Coronavirus rules must be followed or people “can expect to be fined”.
Ms Debenham added: “As we are now so near to the Christmas and New Year holidays we cannot tolerate this minority who are blatantly putting the safety of our communities at risk.
“The majority of the public have been and continue to be amazing by making the right choices throughout this pandemic. To have a small minority put so many people at risk is something we will continue to tackle and to use the legislation available to us.
“We have taken thousands of calls throughout this pandemic about breaches of the regulations. We will continue to respond to these incidents over the festive period.
“Our priority is to protect public safety. If people breach the regulations and put others at needless risk, they can expect to be fined.”
The force shared a list of fines dished out in the last two weeks.
Two fines for failing to comply with a reasonable instruction;
Two for participating in an indoor gathering;
Two fines issued for holding a gathering of more than 30 persons in a private home in a Tier 3 area;
Two fines issued for holding a gathering of two or more people in a public outdoor place in a Tier 3 area;
23 fines issued for holding a gathering of two or more people indoors in a private home in a Tier 3 area;
Four fines issued because a person from a Tier 3 area was participating in a gathering of two or more people in a public outdoor place outside the area;
Four fines issued for failing to selfisolate.
In addition, 26 businesses were visited to check on whether they were Covid-compliant and officers gave advice. During a series of Covid-19 regulation checks on Leicester shops, police and council officials warned 25 people for not wearing face coverings correctly.
Further visits are due in the coming weeks as part attempts to try to push down the Covid-19 infection rate.