The hosts have been fined £10,000 for organising a marriage in breach of tier 4 restrictions (Image: Getty Photographs/iStockphoto)
The hosts of a marriage in Surrey on New Yr’s Day have been fined £10,000 after police discovered dozens of individuals inside in breach of coronavirus restrictions.
Officers on patrol in Kingswood noticed greater than 30 autos parked close to farmland within the early hours of January 2.
Somebody dwelling on the tackle, in Stubbs Lane, claimed they have been filming a video shoot for a marriage get together promotion.
However when one of many vehicles was stopped close by making an attempt to go away, the occupants admitted they’d gone there to attend a marriage.
Underneath the present tier 4 coronavirus controls in place within the area, weddings should solely happen with as much as six individuals and in distinctive circumstances, reminiscent of if one particular person is critically in poor health and never anticipated to get better.
Police arrange a cordon on the entrance to the tackle to allow the vehicles to go away, whereas scribbling down quantity plates, ultimately managing to disperse the vast majority of the visitors.
They then issued a £10,000 fastened penalty discover for holding a celebration in contradiction of Covid-19 rules.
Instances are extraordinarily excessive within the Reigate and Banstead district the place the get together happened in east Surrey.
There have been 592 circumstances per 100,000 individuals in final week of December. The typical in England is 307.
Non permanent Assistant Chief Constable Ali Barlow, accountable for native policing in Surrey, stated: ‘We all know that this stays a difficult time and that everybody is doing their finest to adapt and comply with the principles in place for everybody’s security.
‘We recognize that family and friends will need to come collectively for particular events and we’re grateful to the bulk who’re adhering to the restrictions and taking part in their half in retaining family members secure and subsequently supporting our frontline well being colleagues.
‘Our well-established policing method of partaking, educating and explaining stays the identical.
‘Nevertheless, the place there are distinctive circumstances, solely as a final resort and the place individuals present a blatant disregard for the principles, we’ll take enforcement motion.’
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