Sussex Police crack down on Covid restriction breaches
The force issued 45 Fixed Penalty Notices over the first weekend of the UK's third lockdown
Police in Sussex have taken action against people blatantly breaching the government's Covid-19 regulations.
45 Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) were issued to people across the county during the first weekend of the third national lockdown.
Enforcement action uncluded fining a man who was supposed to be self-isolating after testing positive, but went to peoples' homes to cut their hair in Hastings.
And, a driver from Surrey, stopped for speeding, claimed he was driving to deal with an alarm at his business in Brighton but couldn't give any legitimate details of the premises, so he didn't have a reasonable excuse for making the journey.
Superintendent Julia Pope said: "We know this is an extremely difficult time for everyone, however the actions we take and the decisions we make now can help save lives.
"This pandemic has been ongoing for almost a year now, and so we are all familiar with what we should be doing to play our part in stopping the spread of the virus.
"We know the overwhelming majority of people in Sussex are doing the right thing by staying home, wearing masks and social distancing, but unfortunately a small minority of people continue to ignore the rules.
"The restrictions are in place for a reason – any unnecessary contact had with someone is a potential link to a vulnerable person. Everyone has a responsibility to make the right decisions. It is disappointing that our officers have to take this enforcement action again this weekend against those who are still blatantly breaching the rules as if they do not apply to them.
"It’s so important, now as much as ever, that we pull together and do what we need to do to protect our NHS and our communities from the virus."