Large drop in Covid fines issued by Cambridgeshire police as restrictions ease

The force issued 932 fixed penalty notices between March 27, 2020, and May 16, 2021.

This compares to 921 between March 27, 2020, and April 18, 2021 - marking a large drop in the rate of fines being issued.

Overall, three people have been fined for holding a gathering of more than 30 people, 32 for face covering breaches, 16 for international travel breaches and nine for business regulations breaches.

One person has also been fined for a breach of self-isolation regulations, while the remaining fines relate to other breaches of the law.

In Lincolnshire, police have handed out 980 fixed penalty notices in total (a rise of three in the past month), while in Northamptonshire the figure is 3,253 (a rise of 78).

Overall, police in England and Wales have processed a total of 115,203 fixed penalty notices for breaches of coronavirus restrictions up to May 16.

Chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, Martin Hewitt, said: “As expected, the number of fines processed in the last four weeks has fallen significantly and reflects the encouraging strides we are making out of lockdown.

“Despite the further easing of restrictions and being able to meet families and friends again, we mustn’t forget that there are still some restrictions in place.

“The emergence of new variants in recent weeks has reinforced the need for us all to be personally responsible and follow the remaining rules. For the selfish minority who continue to blatantly break the rules, such as organising or attending illegal indoor gatherings, officers won’t hesitate to take necessary enforcement action.

“As restrictions ease across the country I understand people will want to go out and enjoy themselves, but this still needs to be done responsibly and safely.

“Officers will continue to be out in communities helping to stop the spread of this virus and keep us on track with the Government’s roadmap.”