£10,000 for a party! Was it really worth it?
WARNING TO OTHERS AFTER STUDENT PAYS MASSIVE FINE
LENTON residents living near to where a student was fined £10,000 for hosting a house party during the pandemic say the area has improved since and has “quietened down” in the latest lockdown.
The third-year Nottingham Trent University student became one of the first people in the country to pay the biggest fine that can be handed out for breaking Covid rules, following an incident on October 20 last year.
Nottingham City Council’s Community Protection officers had first attended the party while they were out on patrol in the area, and police officers dished out the fine after warning it was illegal under the restrictions at the time to hold a gathering of more than 30 people.
The party was hosted days before the second national lockdown.
Husnain Yaqoob, imam at the Lenton Muslim Centre, told the Post he was aware of the parties.
He said: “In this light, in this time of uncertainty when people are struggling and passing away, it is really not the wisest idea to be throwing a party and making a breeding ground for the virus.
“For about an hour of fun to now having to part with £10,000, as a student that is all of your loan or grant. Whatever path they took to pay it off, I doubt they would say it was worth it.
“What we want to do is eradicate the virus and bring it down and work as a community and country.”
Councillor Pavlos Kotsonis, who represents the Lenton and Wollaton East ward, added: “There have been plenty of cases of anti-social behaviour in Lenton. It is an historic issue in Lenton.
“Things have quietened down in this lockdown as well as crime in general. All sorts of things are improving. There has been new legislation from the Government.
“You have a neighbourhood where you have students and residents living together and you get this imbalance. We are doing a lot to work to address this and there have been improvements lately.”
All payments of fixed penalty notice fines issued under the Government’s coronavirus legislation on behalf of police forces in England and Wales are processed by the ACRO Criminal Records Office.
The funds from these payments are distributed to local authorities in England and Wales, the force says.
People issued with Covid fines can choose to pay them to avoid the need to go to court.
Assistant Chief Constable Steve Cooper, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “This should send out a warning to people that it is really not worth breaking the law when it comes to Covid legislation. Most people in Nottinghamshire fully support and understand the reasons why the law is in place – to stop the NHS being overwhelmed by a wave of patients affected by the virus which thrives on social contact. Sadly there is a minority for whom enforcement is the only option.”