Forest trip costs pals £1,000
THREE friends from different households in Manchester were slapped with a £1,000 for breaking lockdown rules after a trip to Macclesfield Forest.
The trio were caught speeding in a Seat Leon along rural lanes in Cheshire at 60mph and were eventually pulled over by police.
Officers from Cheshire Police and Rural Crime had been patrolling the area when they noticed the vehicle was missing a front headlight, and had its bumper held together with tape.
“To our surprise the vehicle contained three occupants of all of which had travelled from the Manchester area and were not from the same household,” the force wrote on Facebook.
“On inspection of the vehicle we confirmed front-end damage to the light and bumper held together with wrapping tape. In addition we further identified a bald tyre, bulge in the tyre wall and damage to the tyre wall (shredded).”
Officers said they also noticed a strong smell of cannabis coming from the vehicle, and after searching the occupants, found two were in possession of the drug. The driver of the vehicle provided a negative drug test result.
Three Covid-19 Fixed Penalty Notice fines were issued to the occupants of the vehicle, meaning their trip out will cost around £1,000, police said.
The vehicle was recovered and taken away, with the driver fined for a Traffic Offence Report for the vehicle’s defects.
They were also given a Penalty Notice for Disorder fine in relation to the cannabis found within the vehicle.
One cannabis caution was issued to the occupants of the car as police said the matter was a first time offence.
Lockdown rules mean people can only leave their homes for essential reasons, such as work or providing care to a vulnerable person.
Under the current coronavirus lockdown rules families are ordered to stay at home with mixing between households indoors banned unless part of a support bubble.
Anyone breaching the rules can be handed out a fixed penalty notice for £200 on the first occasion.