Greater Manchester Police issue more than 100 fines to Covid-19 rule breakers

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) issued 110 fines to people between 3pm on Friday (January 15) and 7am on Sunday (January 17), bringing the total issued since August to, 2600.

The majority of fines were given following house parties and there were also some larger gatherings which police responded to.

On Saturday evening (January 16), 16 fines were issued to party-goers at a house on Peregrine Street in Hulme.

Then at around 10pm that night in Salford, police responded to reports of around 30 people having a party at an address on Greengate. They issued 27 fines to attendees.

Hours later, in the early hours of this morning (January 17), officers were called to a disturbance and a large party of more than 40 people at a flat in Derby Street, Cheetham Hill. One fine was issued and police are investigating.

On Friday evening (January 15) in Bolton, four fines were also handed out to people travelling from Preston to Bolton to pick up a takeaway. Officers had stopped to assist the occupants after the vehicle had broken down on Watergate Lane.

Chief Inspector Carol Martin, of GMP's Covid response team, said: "The majority of people across Greater Manchester are following the Government's guidance - we would like to thank them for doing their bit throughout the pandemic. However, there is a minority who think they are above the law.

"It is incredibly frustrating to those abiding by the rules that some people are showing such a blatant disregard for the current regulations. Not only are they putting their own lives and those of their loves ones at stake, they also risk undoing the hard work of everyone else continuing to make the necessary sacrifices at this time.

She added: "We would like to reassure people that dedicated teams of officers are responding to reports of non-compliance and are continuing to follow the national lead by engaging with members of the public, explaining the law and encouraging compliance, but our officers will not hesitate to take enforcement action if people are found to be flouting the rules."

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