Coronavirus: Illegal home party host fined £ 10k apologizes

A student who was fined £ 10,000 for an illegal home party of more than 50 people apologized.

The 19-year-old received the fixed penalty notice after ignoring warnings to close the party at his Nottingham home on Friday night.

In a letter sent to his neighbors, he said that the “silly meeting” was a “great error of judgment.”

Nottinghamshire police said the group was violating social distancing rules and that the fine should serve as a warning.

It said about 50 people found at the Harlaxton Drive address in Lenton refused to leave the permit and the host was fined.

The host of the party wrote in the letter that the friends were hoping to have a 25-person party, adhering to Covid-19 restrictions, to celebrate two housemates who recently turned 21.

“However, it quickly got out of control,” he said.

“It was never our intention to interrupt your evening. It was a great misjudgment on our part.

“We are eager to make amends.”

The force said it used all its powers to deal with the “reckless” organizer who “deliberately disobeyed” the rules.

But a neighbor told the BBC that the £ 10,000 fine was “absolutely ridiculous … well guys, but we were all students once.”

Another resident said there had been large student parties in the Lenton area during the coronavirus pandemic and he hoped lessons would be learned.

Police Chief Craig Gilford said: “The individual had his opportunity and that opportunity was not heeded.

“The agents acted in a correct and proportionate manner.

“In the extremes, if people don’t follow the rules, after we’ve done our best … we’ll enforce and issue fines as a last resort.”