1,000 Covid breaches in just one week

POLICE in one area of the West received nearly 1,000 reports of Covid breaches across the force area – in the space of only a week.

Avon and Somerset Police says it received 988 reported breaches of the restrictions into its control room between February 18 and 24.

Officers attended about 60 per cent of the 176 reported breaches through the control room handing out 126 fines. Despite restrictions still being firmly in place, some continue to flout the rules.

This week fines were handed out for a variety of reasons including to gatherings of two or more people from different households in a private dwelling or other outside space. Fines were also handed out to people found gathering in outside spaces.

Those fined in the last week included four men who were handed Covid fines for driving from Bristol to Gloucestershire to ‘buy a motorbike’.

Police said they were all from different households.

Officers also said the driver had no insurance, and none of the four men had a bike helmet.

Police were also called out last weekend to illegal gatherings in Bristol on February 18 and 21.

One man, aged in his 40s, has been charged with assaulting an emergency worker after police broke up an illegal gathering of 30 people on Cheltenham Road.

Three fines were issued at Hannover Quay following reports of a large number of people present ; some had travelled more than 40 miles on a round trip from Trowbridge.

More than 50 vehicles were turned away from the area.

Assistant Chief Constable Steve Cullen said: “No one should be in any doubt as to what the current rules are, or the importance of abiding by them to stop the spread of the virus and protect the NHS. We will continue to advise the public and encourage them to follow the regulations.”