Fines handed out to campers in Yorkshire Dales for breaking lockdown restrictions
North Yorkshire Police are warning people not to go camping in the Yorkshire Dales after a group were issued with Covid-19 fixed penalty notices.
Officers were called to the smelt mill ruins near Surrender Bridge at 8:30 on Friday 15 May.
A local resident reported that five tents had been pitched and a camp fire lit close to the ruins.
On arrival officers spoke to four men and four women aged in their mid-20s.
They had travelled from West Yorkshire and were from six different households. They were fined for offences which breach the current lockdown regulations.
The group had been drinking so were unable to leave straight away. They remained on site overnight, but were ordered to pack up their belongings, put the fire out and return home first thing on Saturday.
Officers also moved a campervan on from the location which is believed to have travelled from Teesside.
A large number of motorcycles have been seen in North Yorkshire in recent weeks, even before lockdown rules were relaxed.
Earlier this month two bikers were fined after travelling from Rochdale on a 200-mile round trip to buy fish and chips in Whitby.