North Devon gyms are fined for rule breaches
TWO Barnstaple gyms were found in breach of Covid-19 regulations last week, after ‘dawn raids’ by North Devon Council.
Council and police officers visited Brute Force Body Building Gym in Pilton on January 25, and Platform Gym in Pottington on January 29, after receiving complaints from members of the public.
When they arrived – with one of the raids being “in the early hours of the morning” – officers found breaches of Coronavirus Restrictions Regulations, in that the gyms were open and customers were present.
As a result of the regulation breaches, the gyms were both issued with a Prohibition Notice – a legal notice to close and ensure they remain closed during the national lockdown.
They were also issued with Fixed Penalty Notices (FPN) of £1,000 each by the council, while a number of members of public were also issued with FPNs of £200 by the police at one of the gyms.
Nine North Devon hand car washes have been found in breach of the regulations since the start of the third national lockdown, but in these cases informal action was taken as it was believed the breaches were made as a result of a lack of understanding over Government guidance.
Councillor David Worden, leader of North Devon Council, said: “With coronavirus infection rates being so high, blatant breaches of Government rules such as this not only put individuals at risk, but also put the premises at risk of enforcement action. We are grateful to our residents who were vigilant and proactive enough to report these incidents of Covid regulations breaches to us, which we are then able to follow up with the police.
“This joint action with our police colleagues proves how seriously we are taking breaches of this legislation. It is there to save lives and we will not hesitate to act on any reports of people breaking the law and putting our local community at risk.
“One of these visits was carried out in the early hours of the morning, so businesses breaking the rules should be warned that our officers are prepared to respond out of hours whenever necessary.”
Sergeant Noel Bourke, Devon and Cornwall Police’s Community Safety Sergeant for North Devon, Torridge and West Devon, said: “We continue to work closely with the local authorities to ensure we are doing everything possible to maintain the safety of our communities. We are all really keen for people to be able to keep physically active in a Covid-secure way. However, it is disappointing that there are still gyms opening when the regulations in place are designed to keep people safe.”