[ad_1]
Police have been responding to reports of illegal gatherings after the rules were introduced just before the holiday weekend.
the new rules went into effect on Friday, fueled by more than 1,000 unlicensed events since late June.
Anyone who breaks the rules could be fined £ 10,000.
People who don’t wear masks and those who attend illegal gatherings can be fined at least £ 100, doubling for repeat offenders to a maximum of £ 3,200.
Essex police said they had seized thousands of pounds of equipment before an unlicensed music event that was due to take place in Harlow on Saturday afternoon.
Chief Inspector Lewis Basford said: “My final message is to the organizers: we will seize the equipment – I don’t care if someone has hired it or theirs, we will dissolve your event, and now we can be fined up to £ 10,000.”
West Midlands Police said early Sunday they had dealt with about 90 reports from the public about possible breaches of the restrictions “but we have not had to use our enforcement powers.”
“Tonight has been dominated by reports of house parties, rather than the big get-togethers we’ve seen earlier in the last few weeks.”
:: Subscribe to the daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
In West Yorkshire, a man was arrested after DJing at a Harehills street party.
Five other people at the meeting were fined.
Superintendent Chris Bowen said: “We hope people will recognize the ongoing risks of holding or participating in events like this, but where intervention is needed, we will fine people and we will make arrests.”
Interior Minister Priti Patel said the rules are in response to “the most serious violations of social distancing restrictions.”
But the president of the Metropolitan Police Federation, Ken Marsh, warned that the legislation could not be enforced and that it would mean “absolutely nothing” for its application in London.
He told PA News: “It could be good for areas outside of London, but here it means absolutely nothing to us.
“People just install a music box in the middle of the street and say ‘it’s not mine’, it’s silly.”
He wanted laws that would allow officers to “be more forceful” in cleaning areas.
Another police chief said some were using the confusing guidelines as an excuse to break the rules.
Lancashire Police Chief Andy Rhodes said there is a “world of difference” between people who act sensibly and others who “blatantly” ignore the rules.
