171 fines issued by GMP for lockdown breaches

Over 170 Fixed Penalty Notices have been issued by Greater Manchester Police for breaches of government public health regulations up to Monday 27 April, data released on Thursday (30 April) shows.

Government public health regulations introduced on 27 March 2020 to prevent the spread of coronavirus means that officers can issue individuals with £60 fines if they failed to comply after officers have engaged with them, explained the risks to public health and encouraged voluntary compliance.

In Greater Manchester, the youngest person to receive a fine was 18, and the oldest was 52. Half of the notices in Greater Manchester were issued to men aged between 18-24, and seven were given to people travelling into Greater Manchester – including four young men who had travelled from Yorkshire to get a burger.

Nationally, 82 per cent of fines in England were given to men, 36 per cent of fines were issued to those aged 18-24, with 31 per cent going to those aged 25-34.

58 per cent of fines in England were issued to those self-identifying as white and 25 per cent of fines were issued to individuals who did not self-identify their ethnicity. Fines to those of Asian ethnicity stood at 10 per cent, black at four per cent, and mixed race at two per cent.

 

Assistant Chief Constable Chris Sykes, of Greater Manchester Police, said: “It is important that we stress that the vast majority of people are adhering to the guidelines. These people are ultimately saving people’s lives and we want to sincerely thank those who are following the guidance, as we recognise that we are living in unprecedented and hugely difficult times.

“However, there are a minority of people who are continuing to ignore the guidelines and putting others at risk. In these circumstances, the priority for us has always been to strike a balance between engagement and enforcement. We have taken a common sense approach, taking into consideration the principle of proportionality. 

“In line with our engagement-first approach, we have been working closely with partner agencies to address issues that have arisen throughout the region and only enforce as a last resort. This includes local authorities, Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), Housing Associations, Trading Standards and other emergency services. For example, essential businesses have been contacted to ensure they are adhering to social distancing measures.

“Here in Greater Manchester, a particular challenge has been around house parties. For this reason, I think it’s important for the public to recognise that the emergency Covid-19 legislation is designed to deal with breaches in public spaces and therefore the use of FPNs in dwellings is somewhat limited in this setting.

“This being said, we have been able to work in partnership with other agencies and use different strategies to deal with this type of breach. For example, where there have been repeated reports of parties at housing association properties, we have been able to work closely with the relevant housing association which has been able to assist. An example to note would be an injunction issued in Manchester in response to a house party. In another instance, officers in Tameside used anti-social behaviour powers rather than FNPs to invoke a closure notice after there had been repeated breaches.

“In other circumstances, and where our officers have been met with more serious behaviour, we have arrested offenders instead of issuing FPNs. Thankfully though, the majority of people are following government guidelines and we are grateful to everyone for sacrificing their time with loved ones during this incredibly difficult time in order to protect the public and prevent the spread of Covid-19.

“We understand that this isn’t easy and that the current situation is a challenge for us all.

“However, I would ask that people stick with us and continue to follow the government guidance to stay home, protect the NHS and ultimately save lives. By working together, we will overcome this.”