The hosts were fined £ 10,000 for organizing a wedding in violation of tier four restrictions (Image: Getty Images / iStockphoto).
The hosts of a New Year’s Day wedding in Surrey were fined £ 10,000 after police found dozens of people in the home in violation of coronavirus restrictions.
Officials on patrol in Kingswood discovered more than 30 vehicles parked near farmland in the early hours of January 2.
Someone who lived at the Stubbs Lane address claimed they were filming a video for a wedding party promotion.
But when one of the cars stopped nearby and tried to leave, the inmates admitted they had gone there to attend a wedding.
According to the fourth level coronavirus controls currently in force in the region, weddings may only take place with up to six people and in exceptional cases, e.g. B. when a person is seriously ill and no recovery is expected.
Police put a barrier at the entrance to the address to allow cars to drive away while they wrote down license plates and eventually managed to disperse the majority of the guests.
They then waived a fixed £ 10,000 fine for holding a party in violation of Covid-19 regulations.
Cases are extremely high in the Reigate and Banstead districts, where the party took place in East Surrey.
In the last week of December there were 592 cases per 100,000 people. The average in England is 307.
More: Coronavirus
Temporary Deputy Police Commissioner Ali Barlow, who is in charge of local policing in Surrey, said: “We know this is a challenging time and everyone is doing their best to adjust and follow the rules in place for the safety of all.
“We appreciate that friends and family want to get together on special occasions, and we are grateful to the majority who have abided by the restrictions and are doing their part to keep their loved ones safe and to support our frontline health colleagues.
‘Our established police approach to engaging, educating and explaining remains the same.
“However, if there are exceptional cases, just as a last resort, and if people openly disobey the rules, we will take enforcement action.”
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