Organiser of illegal New Year’s party near Leighton Buzzard fined £10k for breaching Covid rules

On December 31, police were called to the site and found a marquee with a number of tables and chairs inside, a small dance floor and four speakers.

The organiser was spoken to, but when officers returned later they found around 50 people in attendance.

Police were able to bring the event to a close and disperse the attendees. After reviewing the evidence, officers have now issued a £10,000 fine to main organiser for breaching Covid-19 regulations.

Chief Superintendent John Murphy, who is leading Bedfordshire Police’s response to coronavirus, said: “Throughout the pandemic, we have been working with our partners to urge and remind members of the public to adhere to the government guidance so we can all play our part in stopping the spread of the virus, so it is astonishing to see people brazenly and blatantly ignoring these rules.

“This party was not only a huge breach, but also showed a total lack of respect to those people who haven’t been able to attend the funeral of a loved one, or spend Christmas and New Year with their friends and family, which is why we have not taken this lightly and have taken firm action.

“We understand the past 10 months have been difficult for everyone and we are grateful to those who have been following the guidelines, but the pressure on the NHS is still immense and we we all need to everything we can to keep ourselves and others safe.”

Bedfordshire Police has issued 103 fixed penalty notices over Covid-19 regulation breaches over the past week, with 399 incidents having been reported to the force over the same timeframe.

Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner Kathryn Holloway said: “While I completely understand how heart-breaking it must be not to be able to attend a funeral or a wedding and a large wake or reception afterwards, I do not accept that a single member of the public does not understand that this is not possible at a time when the NHS is seeing more beds occupied by patients with a single illness than at any time in its history – 42 per cent - and when local infection rates remain stubbornly high.

“Bedfordshire Police has invested significant effort in making sure that leaders in all places of worship, funeral directors, crematoria and venues which are available for the public to rent are aware that they will also personally be held responsible and made subject to fines, as well as those who make a booking with them, if they collude in the law being broken.

“These laws were not made on a whim but to prevent deaths and our hospitals being overwhelmed. There are no exceptions."

Cllr Ian Dalgarno, Executive Member for Community Services at Central Bedfordshire Council, added: “People flouting the current national restrictions in place are showing disregard for the health of the public and, with the support of the police, we will enforce fines to those who do not comply.

“We need everyone to maintain social distancing and restrict contact more than ever as COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the local area. We will continue to work with the police to enforce the local rules, and our new Covid-19 stewards will be working directly with the public and businesses to ensure that breaches are reported and acted on.”

For more information on the current Covid-19 guidelines and what you can and cannot do under the national lockdown, you can visit the government website.