A woman from Bucks could receive a £10,000 fine after she was caught breaching Covid-19 lockdown rules.
At around 4.25am on Sunday, May 30 2021, Kent Police were called out to a ‘disturbance’ in Plantation Lane, Bearsted, Maidstone, where local residents had made reports of ‘noise and a fight in the street’.
The address had been advertised online as a holiday rental property, however, it was instead attended by more than 100 people who had travelled to the area for a pre-arranged party, according to the authorities.
READ MORE: 'The picture speaks for itself' - Car crashes into a lorry on the M40
An investigation led officers to determine that the person who had made the booking to use the property was a 20-year-old woman from Milton Keynes.
Following this, her home address was visited by officers from Thames Valley Police, who issued her with a fixed penalty notice for holding a gathering of more than 30 people in a private dwelling, in breach of the current Covid regulations on Friday, June 25.
Assistant Chief Constable, Nicola Faulconbridge, from Kent Police said: “The majority of people in Kent have been making sacrifices to follow the Government’s roadmap and keep everyone safe and it is encouraging to see that hospital admissions remain fairly low, as a result.
“Amidst these good signs, however, we must all remain mindful that we are still in a pandemic and it remains against the law to organise and attend large indoor gatherings like house parties and unlicensed music events.
What Kent Police said
A woman from Milton Keynes is facing a £10,000 fine for breaching Covid-19 regulations by organising a party at a house...
Posted by Kent Police on Thursday, 1 July 2021
“In these situations, our officers will move quickly to enforcement and those found responsible will be issued with a fixed penalty notice.
“It is understandable that with the recent easing of restrictions, warmer weather and international sporting events, people will want to start socialising again.
READ MORE: Man charged with driving offences including failing to stop for police
“However, we urge everyone to remember that regulations apply to large gatherings, to understand the serious risk the pandemic still poses and to avoid undermining everything we have collectively achieved so far.
“As we move towards the next key date in July, officers will continue to work alongside partner agencies to ensure compliance by remaining visible and accessible whilst policing the regulations in a sensible and proportionate way, but they will not hesitate to use their enforcement powers when necessary.’
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article