Climbing a mountain in the dark in trainers and a road trip to visit all 92 football league grounds are just two of the excuses people have given to police after being recently caught flouting lockdown rules.
Though the rules on the government website state “stay local means stay in the village, town, or part of the city where you live”, one minister has conceded the term is “open to interpretation, but people broadly know what local means”.
Two women who were fined £200 after travelling to a reservoir for a walk around five miles from their homes have had their penalties cancelled.
Here is a look at some of the reasons people have given for leaving their homes and breaching current COVID-19 regulations.
To go to the beach
A motorist was stopped by police for travelling from the market town of Newcastle Under Lyme in Staffordshire, to the seaside town of Prestatyn in Denbighshire in Wales “because the driver wanted to go to the beach”.
“This vehicle came to our attention due to the manner of driving,” tweeted North Wales Police Special Constabularly on Sunday.
It also transpired the driver had no insurance and only a provisional licence. Officers seized the vehicle and reported her for three offences.
To climb a mountain in trainers in the dark
Five people, including four teenagers, were stopped by the same police force a day earlier for travelling from England to Snowdonia to climb 918m Tryfan in the dark.
The lockdown rule-breakers had driven to Ogwen Cottage in North Wales from Ellesmere Port in Cheshire.
Police tweeted: “Our team continue to come across motorists travelling in breach of COVID regs.”
To visit all 92 football league grounds
A man was stopped and fined by police on Saturday after he told officers he was attempting to visit all 92 football league grounds in a road trip during lockdown.
He came to the attention of Lincolnshire Police after his vehicle was registered outside of the area in Chesterfield.
“Driver stated he was having a road trip to football grounds around the country having left Chesterfield yesterday,” the force tweeted.
“You simply couldn’t make it up! #COVID19 penalty ticket issued along with the strongest words of advice!”
To attend a gathering at a bar being live-streamed
Police issued 30 fines to people who attended a gathering at a bar in Barnet on Saturday which was being live-streamed on Instagram.
Officers attended a restaurant at around 2am in High Road following reports from the public of a breach of the lockdown.
As well as the individual fines, the Metropolitan Police said the owner of the establishment was being considered for a £10,000 fine, and the venue’s alcohol licence is also under review by the local council.
Temporary Chief Superintendent Louis Smith, North West BCU Commander, said: “The fact that this breach of Covid regulations happened within the same 24 hours as the mayor of London declaring a major incident is as shocking as it is disappointing.”
Police threaten £200 fine for frightening vulnerable people
Frightening vulnerable people could land you a £200 fine for breaking lockdown rules, a police force has warned.
It comes after snowballs were reported being thrown at the homes of vulnerable elderly residents in the market town of Broseley in Shropshire between 11pm and 11.30pm on Friday.
“This behaviour is not acceptable at any time,” Broseley and Much Wenlock Safer Neighbourhood Team, of West Mercia Police, tweeted at the time.
“This is obviously not a justifiable reason to be out of your house, this behaviour is likely to result in a £200 Fixed Penalty Notice for breaking the lockdown rules.”
The force has since deleted the tweet, but Superintendent Mo Lansdale later clarified: “In relation to last night’s incidents we are speaking to a number of people to identify who the three individuals involved were. At this time, no one has been spoken to or issued with an FPN.
“The pandemic is stressful enough for people, particularly those that are more vulnerable, without them being made to feel worse and isolated in their own homes as a result of disgraceful anti-social behaviour.
“We will not tolerate the targeting of vulnerable people and there are a number of powers available to us to protect people. One such power could be the FPN under the Covid-19 regulations as, I think we can all agree, frightening vulnerable people is not a reasonable excuse to have left your home.”
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