Sports club in Cornwall fined £1,000 for serving drinks to members during lockdown
A sports club in Cornwall has been fined £1,000 after being found to have opened its bar and serving drinks to members.
Rob Nolan, Cornwall Council Cabinet member for public protection, said the fine had been issued on Wednesday 20 January.
He said: “Enforcement officers, following liaison with Devon and Cornwall Police, issued a fixed penalty notice to a sports club after members were served alcohol from the bar at the premises. This club put both its members and the community at risk.
“We will always work with businesses to help follow the rules and how to enforce them. In this instance the business clearly knew that it was breaching the regulations and there is no excuse. The club was issued with a £1,000 notice.”
Cllr Nolan said the council had a policy to engage and educate people before taking enforcement action but added sometimes the team should take action sooner.
The cabinet member said the decision to visit the club was made after a number of reports had been received by the council.
Chief Superintendent Jim Pearce, policing commander for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, said there had been 31 fines issued in Cornwall in the past week for Covid breaches.
He said over the past seven days, police had received 584 reports from members of the public about Covid breaches – of those 162 were attended by officers and there were 78 engagements.
Ch Supt Pearce said while the number of tickets sounded low compared to the number of reports, that they "weren't anywhere near that number “before Christmas”.
Of the tickets issued he said the vast majority were about “leaving your home without reason and excessive travel”.
He said the next largest category was indoor and outdoor gatherings. Looking across the Devon and Cornwall force area he said there had been 139 issued in total during the past week.
He said people needed to think before heading out on a journey about whether it is really necessary.
The police chief added: “If you are stopped and spoken to by officers they will use their own discretion to decide whether they are operating outside the guidance.
“Stay home. Stay local, even if you are exercising and please, please take that personal responsibility. It is our own responsibility to keep each other safe.”
Report by Richard Whitehouse, Local Democracy Reporting Service.