Five adults fined £200 for breaking Covid rules by having a barbecue in the snow

22 January 2021, 19:23

Five adults have been fined £200 for breaching Covid regulations after police found three households having a barbecue in freezing conditions on a moor.

Durham Police were called to Waskerley above Consett at about 4pm on Thursday, where the remnants of Storm Christoph was causing gusts of 40mph, and found 13 people - including seven children and a seven-month-old baby - from Gateshead.

They had travelled around 20 miles from their homes to the remote spot.

The force said that initially the adults said they did not believe they had done anything wrong but later accepted that the gathering was not only putting the whole party at risk of Covid-19 but could have also put an unnecessary strain on the emergency services if any of the three vehicles they were in crashed in the bad weather conditions.

All five adults were given £200 fines for breaching Covid-19 regulations and sent home.

Superintendent Ritchie Allen, of Durham Constabulary, said: “The vast majority of people across our communities are sticking to the regulations and we would like thank them for thinking of others and doing their bit to keep everyone safe.

“However, some people are bending the rules and putting others at risk. While we know the stay at home guidance has been particularly challenging for many people, travelling to host a BBQ get together with other households is not acceptable.

“Those in attendance risked not only their own lives but also those of others and could put extra pressure on an already struggling NHS.

“We would rather the public follow the rules than have to resort to issuing FPNs, but if we do get called to a blatant breach, we will look to issue fines to all those involved.

“Please think of others and if in doubt of the rules, check your local government website.”