Twenty three people have been issued with £800 fines after officers were called to a house party in Swindon over the weekend.
‘On Saturday night we received reports about a large gathering at a property in Primrose Close, Haydon Wick’ said a police spokesperson.
‘When officers arrived at around 9.30pm they found a number of vehicles parked outside the house and loud music coming from inside.’
After police entered the property through a side gate they found two men cooking food on a barbecue, with further food and alcohol laid out inside.
When questioned, the homeowner told police that it was his birthday and that his friends had travelled from as far afield as Lincolnshire and Gloucestershire to attend his party.
Officers broke up the party, dispersing the guests and ordering them home.
In total, 23 people aged between 21 and 64, including the homeowner, were issued with fixed penalty notices for participating in a gathering of more than 15 people in a private dwelling, which now carries an £800 fine.
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.
“I have been clear that our policing response must continue to be robust, fair and consistent and this enforcement action is exactly what I would expect my officers to be doing with such a flagrant breach.
“Our NHS services, including our local hospitals here in Swindon and Wiltshire, remain under immense pressure and incidents like this are a slap in the face of those staff working tirelessly around the clock to care for the seriously ill and save lives.”
He added: “I hope these fines serve as a stark warning to anyone considering breaching the Government restrictions. You are not above the law, and we will take appropriate action against the small minority who continue to flout the rules and put lives at risk.”
