Wedding venue owner faces £10,000 fine after allowing 100 guests at reception
The owner of a west London wedding venue may face a £10,000 fine after police shut down a reception attended by more than 100 people.
Officers from the Metropolitan Police were called to the Tudor Rose in Southall on Tuesday evening and found a large number of people in breach of coronavirus regulations.
Bodyworn footage from the Met showed crowds of guests who were not social distancing or taking other steps to prevent transmission of the virus.
Under current guidance, the number of guests allowed at weddings is limited to 15 people - and venues must adhere to Covid secure guidelines.
The crowds were dispersed by officers to ensure guest numbers complied with the law.
Senior officers reported the owner of the venue for consideration of a #10,000 fixed penalty notice for the clear breach of regulations.
Area Commander, Chief Superintendent Peter Gardner, said: "This was a dangerous and foolish breach of the regulations, which have been designed specifically to keep people safe from transmitting a deadly virus.
It comes as London braces itself for tighter restrictions, after announcements that alert levels in the capital are to increase from "medium" to "high" from midnight on Friday.
The Met say they will be "redoubling" their efforts to clamp down on individuals and businesses who breach the regulations and put themselves and others at risk.