Police fine organiser of New Year's Eve party £10,000 for Covid rule breach
The organiser of a large New Year's Eve party has been fined £10,000 by Bedfordshire Police for breaking coronavirus restrictions.
The event, which took place in Leighton Buzzard, has prompted the force to once again warn people of the consequences of ignoring the laws.
In recent weeks police have issued a number of fines for people ignoring advice to stay at home.
Watch police bodycam footage taken during the party
Yesterday ITV News reported how a man was fined after he drove from Mildenhall in west Suffolk to Scratby on the Norfolk coast to get some fish and chips - a round trip of almost 130 miles.
Meanwhile a couple from Hertfordshire were fined after they drove to Norfolk to look at seals.
Police released details of the party on New Year's Eve today (January 20th).
Officers found a marquee with a number of tables and chairs, a small dance floor and four speakers. The organiser was spoken to and given words of advice, but when officers returned later they found around 50 people in attendance.
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Chief Superintendent John Murphy, who is leading Bedfordshire Police’s response to the coronavirus, said: “Throughout the pandemic, we have been working with our partners to urge and remind members of the public to adhere to the government guidance so we can all play our part in stopping the spread of the virus, so it is astonishing to see people brazenly and blatantly ignoring these rules.
“We understand the past 10 months have been difficult for everyone and we are grateful to those who have been following the guidelines, but the pressure on the NHS is still immense and we we all need to everything we can to keep ourselves and others safe.”Bedfordshire Police has issued 103 fixed penalty notices over Covid-19 regulation breaches over the past week, with 399 incidents having been reported to the force over the same timeframe.
As well as the New Year’s Eve party fine, a Bedfordshire Police investigation into a funeral in Dunstable in October attended by a significant number of people is also ongoing, with a case file having been submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service.
Forces across the region have repeatedly urged people to heed the new lockdown laws. Earlier this month Simon Bailey, Chief Constable of Norfolk Police, described how his officers would enforce the law.