City five fined for failed French trip
NO LEGITIMATE REASON FOR TRAVEL
A GROUP of men from Leicester who were determined to get to Europe have been handed fines totalling £1,000 for breaking Covid19 restrictions.
The five men were travelling together in a car and tried to catch a ferry from Dover.
They were turned away for not having a permitted reason to travel as a result of more stringent restrictions on foreign travel put in place in the latest lockdown.
But that did not stop them from trying to get across the Channel.
They drove 10 miles west to try to get on a train to take the Channel Tunnel to France instead, but the police were also at the Folkestone terminal checking passengers and they were caught a second time.
This time, they were each handed a £200 fine for attempting to travel abroad without a permitted reason.
The government website states: “Under current UK Covid-19 restrictions, you must stay at home.
“You must not leave home or travel, including internationally, unless you have a legally permitted reason to do so.”
The legitimate reasons include returning home to your main residence and travelling for work or voluntary service.
Kent Police have been cracking down hard on lockdown breaches and publicised the reasons why each fine was issued, without naming any of the individuals.
Earlier this week it was reported three people from Leicester were among those ordered to leave Wales last weekend after going to climb Snowdon.
The BBC reported the trio from Leicester had made it all the way to the Pen y Pass car park in Snowdonia at the foot of the mountain.
Keith Ellis, a warden at Pen y Pass, told the BBC: “What they were wearing was totally inappropriate and they would have probably got into danger.”
Also this week, Leicestershire police released details of some of the 142 fines they issued for Covid breaches last weekend.
They included two women having their nails done at Star Nails, in Stockwell Head, Hinckley, plus the staff member.
A town centre CCTV operator alerted officers, who fined the three £200 each.
A police spokesman said: “The business was issued with a prohibition notice requiring them to stop operations straight away.
“Ultimately this was a very expensive nail treatment for these two customers and hopefully a lesson learnt.
“Is having your nails done really that important?”
■ Exercise rules plea, Page 20.