NO EXCUSE!
❑ Police issued 142 Covid breach fines at weekend ❑ Some of the reasons for being out ‘ridiculous’ ❑ Selfish ‘acts of defiance’ putting lives in danger
EXASPERATED police have listed the 11 worst examples of breaches of Covid-19 restrictions they punished within 72 hours of senior Leicestershire officers urging people to abide by the lockdown rules.
The force’s assistant chief constable Kerry Smith joined council leaders and health bosses on Friday, January 8 to implore people to stick to the measures that restrict travel and social contact.
Yet over the weekend, Leicestershire Police issued 142 more fines totalling £57,800.
These included:
■ 37 fines at Castle Donnington where people gathered for a car cruise event. Officers say many of them had travelled from out of county and had no reason to be there (Jan 10)
■ A couple from Huddersfield were fined as they were stopped in their vehicle. They stated they were visiting a cousin (Jan 8)
■ Police were called to an address in Stretton where six men were claiming to be having a business meeting over beer and food. All were from different households and none were bubbled together (Jan 8)
■ Officers spotted a number of people entering an address in Alfred Place, Leicester city centre, wearing party attire. When they made inquiries, there were 30-plus people at the address who were dispersed and the organisers fined (Jan 9)
■ Vehicle stopped at McDonald’s Wigston found to contain four males from different households (Jan 9)
■ A man was fined after police found he was still taking customers in his nail bar in Stockwell Head. Two women who were waiting to have their nails done were also spoken to (Jan 9)
■ Man and woman from Bradford fined once vehicle stopped in Leicester – no reasonable excuse given (Jan 9)
■ A man from Bradgate Drive, Coalville, was fined after he said he didn’t believe in the pandemic and that it was fine that his brother came to visit him from Manchester (Jan 9)
■ Officers attended an address in
Avenue Road Extension, Leicester, where a birthday party of around 11 people from different households had taken place. The household was fined (Jan 10)
■ Vehicle stopped with two men inside, one of which had travelled from Coventry to spend the night with his cousin (Jan 10)
■ Officers were called to Belgrave Gate in Leicester in the early hours of Sunday morning after a group of 20 people were seen in four/five cars, hugging and dancing in the street on CCTV (Jan 10)
ACC Smith said: “Over the weekend we dealt with a number of incidents where people had no excuse for their behaviour.
“Some of the reasons for being outside were ridiculous and this is what officers are having to deal with.
“We cannot be clearer about how this is the only way to stop the spread of the virus. Stay at home, protect the NHS.
“There really is no excuse this far into the pandemic for people to be taking these risks.
“Therefore it is shocking that a small number of people are choosing to ignore the rules and guidance
set out by the government. By these acts of defiance they are directly putting themselves and others at risk.”
Home Secretary Priti Patel has backed the police in being tougher in enforcing the rules.
She said: “My message to anyone refusing to do the right thing is simple: if you do not play your part our selfless police officers – who are out there risking their own lives every day to keep us safe – will enforce the regulations.
“And I will back them to do so, to protect our
NHS and to save lives.”