Cops swoop on 200 house parties over festive period

Police in Lanarkshire attended 200 house parties in the final weeks of 2020.

Figures obtained under freedom of information laws have revealed the extent of coronavirus rule-breaking and the police response – known as Operation Talla – across

Lanarkshire in the final five weeks of 2020 from November 30 to January 3.

Most incidents happened in the week between December 28 and January 3 when 81 house parties were attended and 38 fixed penalty notices issued.

In the Operation Talla

The Downsizing Incentive initiative was agreed at a recent meeting of the council’s Housing and Regeneration Committee.

The proposals would see delivery of a financial incentive of £1,500 comparable to the council’s current Home Loss payment for tenants to downsize and give up their homes to families.

The Nationalists indicated that this support could have come sooner with their group having proposed the initiative themselves in 2012/13 and 2014/15.

SNP spokesperson for Housing and Regeneration, Councillor Alan Valentine, said: “I welcome the action by the housing department to introduce and offer assistance and incentives to our tenants to downsize from their current council house.

“Of course, whilst warmly welcoming this initiative, it is important to note that this incentive to downsize was actually first proposed by the SNP Group in the papers, one incident in Wishaw was highlighted as “notable”.

On Tuesday, December 15, police attend “fighting” at a property in the town’s Main Street.

One man received a fixed penalty notice for breaching coronavirus regulations, another received a recorded police warning and a third man was arrested in connection with an alleged breach of the peace.

In total, police attended 200 house parties where 120 people were issued with FPNs and six arrested.

On 11 occasions, reasonable force was used while 192 people were asked to leave or informed of the coronavirus restrictions and 75 people were warned or instructed to leave.

More than 40 per cent of those took place between December 28 and January 3 as people celebrated the new year.

Chief Superintendent

Alan Waddell was pleased that most people had been following the rules and urged everyone to stick together in a bid to beat coronavirus.

He said: “The vast majority of the public have continued to comply with the regulations.

“We’re asking everyone to continue to do the right thing to stop the spread of this virus and protect public health as its clear that there is an ongoing risk.”