Nottinghamshire police have issued almost 1,000 coronavirus fines since last March

Almost 1,000 fines have been handed out by police for breaches of Covid-19 laws in Nottinghamshire since they came into force, figures show.
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Home Secretary Priti Patel defended the policing of lockdown breaches across the country, warning that officers ‘will not hesitate’ to take action to safeguard the national recovery effort.

Data published by the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) shows a total of 906 fixed penalty notices (FPNs) were issued by Nottinghamshire Police between March 27 and December 20.

Of these, 205 were issued for breaches of coronavirus laws brought in during the first few months of the pandemic, 158 were linked to the tiered alert system introduced in October, and 334 to the national lockdown which began in November.

Almost 1,000 fines have been issued in Nottinghamshire for Covid-19 rules breaches. Photo: Christopher Furlong/Getty ImagesAlmost 1,000 fines have been issued in Nottinghamshire for Covid-19 rules breaches. Photo: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
Almost 1,000 fines have been issued in Nottinghamshire for Covid-19 rules breaches. Photo: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Police forces across England and Wales have issued 32,329 FPNs since March, though the NPCC said there had been a downward trend in recent weeks.

The peak occurred during the Easter bank holiday in April, with 3,288 handed out that week.

By contrast, the most recently weekly figures showed 542 tickets were handed out in the week to December 17, compared to 821 in the previous seven days.

Ms Patel said: “The vast majority of the public have supported this huge national effort and followed the rules.

“But the tragic number of new cases and deaths this week shows there is still a need for strong enforcement where people are clearly breaking these rules to ensure we safeguard our country’s recovery from this deadly virus.”

Of the fines in Nottinghamshire, there were nine for failing to wear a face covering when required, and nine for breaching international travel rules.

There were also two for breaking business regulations and 12 for gatherings held of more than 30 people.

Martin Hewitt, NPCC chairman, said enforcement shouldn’t always equal police involvement or a fine being handed out.

He added: “It is right for officers to be inquisitive about why individuals may be away from home.

“Those who blatantly ignore the regulations should expect to receive a fixed penalty notice, and we’ll target our resources towards those who commit the most serious breaches and put others at risk through their behaviour.”

Preliminary crime figures also published by the NPCC on Friday showed that total crime in England and Wales was down 12 per cent in November last year.