Three fines of £10,000 handed out in Berkshire on eve of lockdown
Thames Valley Police have confirmed officers handed out fines to organisers of a house party
Three Berkshire residents were given fines on the eve of lockdown.
Thames Valley Police has issued three fines of £10,000 pounds to the organisers of a house party.
On Wednesday (4/11) officers attended a house in Reading where they encountered a gathering of more than 50 people.
On entering the house, officers found loud music to be playing and many of the occupants appeared to be intoxicated.
Officers dispersed those who were gathered and three residents of the house, believed to have been the organisers of this party were issued with £10,000 fines.
Chief Superintendent Rob France, Gold Commander for Thames Valley Police’s response to Coronavirus, said:
“Cases of coronavirus are once again increasing and with that, the risk to lives.
“As such we all have our part to play in following the measures and the law in place to help stop the spread of this indiscriminate virus.
“We would rather not have to issue fines such as these, however in this case our officers encountered a blatant disregard for the rules that are in place and this party posed a clear risk of transmission of the virus within the Reading community.
"Not only do breaches of this kind put people at risk from a health perspective, but they put pressure on policing resources taking them away from people who may be in urgent need of help.
“Our officers will continue to engage, encourage and explain the regulations to our communities however where we encounter people who we feel are flagrantly ignoring them we will look to enforce be it through dispersal, fines or even arrest.”
“It is clear to us that the vast majority of the people in the Thames Valley are doing what they can to do the right thing and we continue to be hugely grateful to them for the sacrifices they are making to protect us all.
“We are committed to working with our partners, businesses and the public to make our communities safer and help stop the spread of this deadly virus.”