Gym on Merseyside fined £1,000 for staying open despite strict tier 3 Covid controls
A gym owner Merseyside has been fined £1,000 and ordered to close the premises immediately after flouting the new Tier 3 Covid restrictions.
Police say Body Tech Fitness in Morteton had ignored an earlier warning to shut, in line with rules now in force in the Liverpool City Region.
Officers say they were called to the gym on Pasture Road in Moreton by a member of the public who was concerned that the gym had opened.
Officers visited the premises and warned the owner to close but upon returning later, the gym remained open and a fixed penalty notice was issued ordering the owner to pay a £1,000 fine, and he was ordered to close immediately.
Chief Superintendent Claire Richards said: “We understand that people are frustrated with the current situation and for a number of local businesses, including the fitness and leisure industry, this will be particularly hard.
“It’s not that long ago that gyms reopened their doors after lockdown and they did so after making huge changes to the way they work for the safety and protection of their customers.
“But while this lockdown does present huge challenges, the focus of us all should now be on preventing the spread of the virus and getting us back to normality as safely and as quickly as possible.
“The new restrictions have been brought in to try to achieve that, and if we don’t act decisively and collaboratively, the impact could be harder and last even longer.
“We will therefore continue to encourage members of the public and businesses to adhere to the guidance, explain why they should and – as in this case - use enforcement where there are clear breaches of legislation."