Twenty three people were issued with over £18,00 in fines after police were called to a house party in Swindon over the weekend.
Some of the attendees of the party had travelled from as far afield as Lincolnshire and Gloucestershire to attend a birthday party despite the national Covid-19 restrictions currently in place.
Steve Maddern, Swindon Borough Council’s Director of Public Health, said: “I am incredibly disappointed by the reckless and irresponsible actions of these individuals, especially when so many across Swindon are diligently following the rules to protect themselves and their communities.
“A small few may feel that their actions have no impact on others but there are always consequences to all our actions, be that direct or indirect.
“I would strongly encourage any Swindon resident thinking of not complying with current ‘stay at home’ guidelines to think again. Our case rates are going in the right direction, but this is not the time for any of us to be complacent as we still have a long way to go in our fight against the virus.”
Chief Constable Kier Pritchard said he was shocked by the incident and said that it was inconceivable that the people involved did not realise they were breaking the lockdown restrictions.
He said: “It is astounding to me that people still believe it is acceptable to travel across the country to attend a birthday party.
“The recent news that the UK has now passed the terrible milestone of 100,000 Covid deaths is a tragic reminder of exactly what our country is dealing with right now, and I cannot fathom the thinking behind a decision to host or attend a house party during these unprecedented times.
