Plymouth cafe owner fined £1,000 after serving customers at table in lockdown
The owner of a cafe in Plymouth has been issued with a £1,000 fine after continuing to provide a table-service during lockdown.
Police attended the cafe in Ridgeway on 5 November following reports staff had been serving customers both inside and outside the venue.
A prohibition notice was issued, which required staff to stop selling food and drink on the premises.
But staff continued to operate as normal, which has now resulted in a £1,000 fixed penalty notice being issued.
A secondary fixed penalty notice of £400 was also handed out for “obstruction to a director of the cafe”.
“This specifically relates to the use of seating areas. We have also served another Fixed Penalty Notice for obstruction to a director of the café under the same regulations which requires them to pay £400 within 28 days.”
England entered a second national lockdown on 5 November, which required businesses in the hospitality industry - including pubs, bars and restaurants - to close.
They are permitted to offer delivery and takeaway services, but cannot allow customers to eat or drink on the premises.
‘Signs are not so good’
Ruth Harrell, who is Plymouth’s Director for Public Health, said the council would act “against any businesses who are not compliant”.
“These restrictions, which are embedded in the law, have been brought in as part of a concerted effort to stop the spread of a virus that has killed over 48,000 people in this country alone,” she said.
“Plymouth largely escaped the first wave of the pandemic but the signs are not so good this time round, and the numbers of people being admitted to hospital are rising.
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