Coronavirus: Nottingham party host fined 拢10,000 while others try to evade police by climbing through window
Police take aim at those "who think their social life is more important than other people's health" as they hand out fines.
Sunday 1 November 2020 23:57, UK
A man in Nottingham has been fined 拢10,000 for breaking lockdown rules by holding a party for more than 30 people, police have said.
His 38 guests were fined £200 each for being there while the city is under Tier 3 coronavirus restrictions, forbidding indoor meetings with those from other households.
Nottingham Police were called to a property in Plumptre Street in the city centre at around 12.45am on Saturday.
The occupier of a flat where the party was being held was given a £10,000 fine for organising a gathering of more than 30 people, believed to be students.
They were among more than 80 fines issued by the force over the weekend, totalling more than £26,000.
Officers were also called to two reports of student parties at Arthur Street and Forest Road East, both in the Arboretum area in the early hours of Sunday.
At the first, they found 14 people and a DJ, while 18 people were at the second gathering, some of them trying to escape through a window and others found hiding in a garden.
It comes as cabinet minister Michael Gove said the four-week national lockdown announced for England by Boris Johnson on Saturday could be extended once it comes into effect from Thursday.
Chief Constable Craig Guildford, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: "It's quite unbelievable how some people are completely ignoring the fact that people are dying and the NHS is already so stretched with cancer treatment being halted because of the continued spread of COVID-19.
"The only way to get this under control is by everyone in the community sticking to the legislation and taking responsibility.
"Thankfully most people in the community understand the seriousness of the situation and are playing their part. But there always seems to be a few who think their social life is more important than other people's health.
"Sadly many of the incidents we attended overnight again were student parties. We know that both universities have been trying to help get the message across to students but for some it doesn't seem to be getting through."
Police will continue to hand out fines to anyone found to have broken the restrictions, he added.
Around 300 people were dispersed by police after gathering for an illegal lockdown rave on a farm near Wigan on Halloween.
The UK recorded 23,254 confirmed coronavirus cases on Sunday, the latest government figures showed, while 162 COVID-19 related deaths were logged.