Police have issued 295 fines for Covid-19 breaches since lockdown began

A total of 295 fines for Covid-19 breaches have been handed out by Greater Manchester Police, new figures from the National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC) show.

The figures, released on Friday 29 May, show 82% of these fines have been issued to men and nearly half the total number of fines issued by officers have been given to men and women between the ages of 18 and 24.

Fines have been more likely to be given at weekends, taking in to account the recent bank holiday weekends, and during periods of warmer weather. On one occasion over the most recent bank holiday weekend of Friday 22 May – Monday 25 May, five men were fined after travelling to Greater Manchester from West Yorkshire for a takeaway.

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

From Wednesday 13 May, the minimum fine in England increased from £60 to £100, reducing if paid within 14 days. The upper limit for fines also increased from £960 to £3,200.

In England, since restrictions were eased, fines have been issued for reasons such as driving with non-household members, house parties, large gatherings of people from different households, and camping, among other things.

Assistant Chief Constable Chris Sykes said: “Many of us have not faced a national crisis like this in our lifetimes and over the past weeks we have seen a great community effort. We want to pay tribute to all those who have followed the guidelines and saved people’s lives. We know that the majority of people are doing the right thing, so we want to say a huge thank you for everything you are continuing to do.

“This being said, there are a minority of people who are not listening and are brazenly flouting the guidelines and putting others at risk. So far we have issued 295 fixed penalty notices (FPNs) across our region to members of the public who have breached Coronavirus legislation. 

“Our priority has always been to strike a fair and proportionate balance when it comes to enforcement. We will continue to follow this approach, working with our communities and policing by consent. We will engage with people, explain the current circumstances and encourage people to do the right thing in complying with the government guidelines. We will only take enforcement action as a last resort, when people are not listening and putting others at risk.

“It is important that we stress that the police’s role is to enforce the law, not the guidance. No matter what our top priority will always be to protect the people we are here to serve and we have been working closely with a range of partners in order to reiterate the all-important national guidelines about preventing the spread of the virus. By doing so, we are encouraging people to take some personal responsibility and do the right thing.

“These partners have been able to help in situations where it hasn’t been appropriate or possible to issue FPNs. For example, we have worked with trading standards departments across the Greater Manchester boroughs and carried out joint visits where businesses haven’t been complying.

“In other circumstances and where officers have been faced with more serious behaviour, we have made arrests. These instances include a number of assaults on emergency workers – of which 227 have been reported to us between Monday 23 March 2020 and Wednesday 27 May 2020.

“Thankfully, many of these have resulted in charges and subsequent prosecutions, but I think it is important to share these statistics with you as it helps to paint a better picture of the stresses that many of our frontline staff are under.

“We would like to say a huge thank you to all emergency service workers, many of whom are making sacrifices to keep us safe and are doing absolutely outstanding work in the face of unprecedented challenges.

“As another week of lockdown draws to an end, we would like to remind everyone just how very grateful we are to those who are doing their bit.

“We will only get through this by joining together and I’m confident that the spirit of Greater Manchester won’t waiver as we progress through this hugely difficult time.”