Figures show CHESHIRE Police have imposed more than 1,500 fines for breaches of coronavirus-related laws.
Figures released by the National Police Chiefs’ Council show that the Cheshire Constabulary issued 1,719 fixed penalty notices between March 27, 2020 and December 19 last year.
Of these, 13 were recorded from May 17, 2021, when different households were first allowed to mingle indoors after several months of lockdown.
Since that date, some armed forces have revised down their total number of fines, while others have imposed hundreds.
FPNs can be revoked after review or canceled altogether when several have been issued in error, causing some areas to experience a decreasing number of fines over time.
At the time when the government was accused of hosting several drink parties at 10 Downing Street, FPNs were issued in Cheshire for offenses such as:
- A House Party in Chester (eight FPNs)
- A children’s birthday party in Warrington, attended by an adult from Birmingham during lockdown (four FPNs).
- A BBQ in Crewe in January 2021 (three FPNs)
- A personal trainer invites clients into her backyard (two FPNs)
- A Preston Family Visit to a Crewe Friend’s Home (Three FPNs)
- A Warrington homeowner who invited friends to a “meeting” (an FPN)
- A party in Alderley Edge hired through an online booking site (15 FPNs) – officers found balloons, party banners and alcohol and some tried to hide in cupboards to avoid contact with police.
Across England and Wales, 124,581 fines have been issued for suspected breaches of Covid-19-related laws by the 43 Territorial Police forces, UK Transport Police and the Ministry of Defense since the start of the pandemic.
Human rights defense group Liberty said communities had been subjected to disproportionate and harmful policing while Number 10 staff “attended drink parties”.
Liberty said the government gave police “blunt and coercive powers to enforce lockdowns” when they should have prioritized public health.
Jun Pang, policy and campaigns officer at the organization, said: “Throughout the pandemic, we have seen overzealous policing and chaotic communications, leaving people confused and fearful of prosecution.
“The discrepancies in these regional figures show that the restrictions have been unclear, leaving local police forces to interpret the law. That clearly opened the door to inconsistency and discrimination.”
The government has recently come under fire after a spate of reports of parties and large gatherings at 10 Downing Street while the rest of the UK was under restrictions.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has already apologized after it was revealed that his chief private secretary, Martin Reynolds, invited more than 100 staff to a ‘bring your own boze’ party at No 10 Garden during the first lockdown in May 2020.
Of the FPNs issued across England and Wales to date, 377 have been for holding a gathering of more than 30 people – although none have been registered in Cheshire.
Ms Pang added: “Now we know that while some communities have been subjected to disproportionate and harmful policing and barred from assistance, those in power attended drink parties at Number 10.
“This is typical of a government that believes it is above the law — and is currently enforcing various laws to make itself untouchable.”
An NPCC spokesman said all forces initially tried to intervene and explain the Covid laws to people and only enforce them when necessary.
Deputy Police Commissioner Owen Weatherill, NPCC chief for Operation Talla, the police response to the pandemic, said there were still some restrictions – like the use of face coverings and self-isolation rules – for good reason.
He added: “We have observed a very high level of public compliance.
“Officials have very rarely had to use their powers in recent months, only enforcing them when there are clear violations of the rules or people have failed to respond to explanations and encouragement.”
Cheshire Police policy at the time was an ‘intervene, explain and encourage’ approach, but the force added when officers encountered apparent and/or repeated breaches of the rules would immediately enforce them.
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