More than a dozen GMP staff – including officers – breached Covid rules

More than a dozen Greater Manchester Police staff – including frontline officers – breached Covid regulations in the first year of the pandemic.

The force has responded to tens of thousands of Covid-related incidents – including huge illegal raves, house parties and even weddings – since the first lockdown in March 2020.

As of mid-April this year more than 5,100 fines – ranging from £200 to £10,000 depending on the severity of the offence – have also been issued by GMP during that time.

But it can now be revealed that 16 of GMP’s staff were among the ‘significant minority’ of people – as once described by Greater Manchester’s deputy mayor Beverley Hughes who is responsible for holding the force to account – to be caught breaking Covid rules.

In response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request submitted by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, GMP said 11 officers, one police community support officer and four civilian staff members breached regulations set out in the Coronavirus Act between March 2020 and March 2021.

The most common breach of restrictions was attending illegal social gatherings, which was recorded 10 times.

This was followed by two breaches by staff visiting a person outside of their support bubble.

There were also single breaches for attending a gym during lockdown, entering a premises without a mask, attending work whilst having Covid symptoms and travelling during restrictions and failing to self-isolate.

Six fines were handed to GMP staff, though the amount of each individual fine was not disclosed by the force in the FOI.

Half of the breaches happened in one month – August 2020 – with the most recent breach being recorded in March this year.

GMP declined to comment when asked to respond to the figures within the FOI request.

A spokesperson for Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham’s office said: “We want to thank the public of Greater Manchester, the vast majority of whom have abided by various forms of often quite complicated restrictions on their freedoms for many months.

“It is to their credit that the pandemic picture is now significantly better than it has been.

“Greater Manchester’s emergency service personnel have performed an invaluable public service throughout the pandemic – as frontline workers they have put themselves at risk day in and day out, keeping us safe.

“Greater Manchester Police rightly prosecutes individuals caught breaking the law – anyone caught breaching the Coronavirus Act should expect to face the consequences, no matter one’s status or profession.”

Niall Griffiths, Local Democracy Reporter