Over 560 fines issued for breach of lockdown regulations

MORE than 560 fines have been given out across the county for those breaking coronavirus rules.

Between March 27 and December 20 last year, Hampshire Constabulary handed out 567 fines for breaches of coronavirus laws.

Among those include takeaways Ali Baba’s and Perfect Pizza – both on London Road, North End – which were both slapped with a £1,000 penalty after not closing before the 10pm curfew back in October and in the same month Ship & Castle pub in Rudmore Road, Stamshaw, was fined £1,000 after allowing a gathering of more than 15 punters at the site for a wake.

A 20-year-old man from Portsmouth was also handed a fine after he was observed walking through and leaving the Astoria nightclub in Guildhall Walk without his facemask, having been reminded previously by door staff to put it on.

Across England and Wales, 32,329 fixed penalty notices were issued by police for breaches of Covid-19 laws since they came into force, according to data published by the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC).

The report said there has been a downward trend in recent weeks following a rise in fines as restrictions were tightened from September, with the peak of 3,288 coming during the week of the Easter Bank Holiday in April.

The most recent weekly figures showed 542 tickets were handed out in the week to December 17, compared with 821 in the previous seven days.

For face coverings, the NPCC figures showed a total of 958 fines were issued between June 15 and December 20, including 199 on public transport, an average of seven a week.

The remaining 759 were handed out in places such as shops.

NPCC chairman Martin Hewitt said: ‘Enforcement doesn’t and shouldn’t always equal police involvement or the issuance of a fixed penalty notice.

‘It is right for officers to be inquisitive about why individuals may be away from home.

‘Those who blatantly ignore the regulations should expect to receive a fixed penalty notice and we’ll target our resources towards those who commit the most serious breaches and put others at risk through their behaviour.’

To report a business, see portsmouth.gov.uk/coronavirussecurityreporting