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Less than a third of all fines issued for individuals violating lockdown restrictions at Teesside have been paid, shocking new figures have revealed.
Figures released under the Freedom of Information laws have shown that Teesside is also the worst area in the country to pay the fines imposed for breaking Covid rules.
A total of nine forces saw 60% or more of the penalties unpaid within the 28 days between March 27 and September 21.
The highest proportion of unpaid fines was in the Cleveland force area, where 72% of fines for the period, 215 out of 298, were not paid.
It comes as police forces were told to resume handing out the so-called £ 10,000 super fine less than a week after the decision to suspend them.
In Northumbria the proportion was 68%, with 188 of 278 fines not paid, while in West Yorkshire 66% of fines, 497 of 756, were unpaid, according to data from the criminal records office ACRO that administers the fines.
There were six more regional forces where 60% or more of fines were not paid in 28 days: Staffordshire (65%, 28 of 43), Durham (65%, 115 of 178), Humberside (63%, 88 of 140), Merseyside (61%, 300 of 492), West Midlands (61%, 230 of 380) and South Yorkshire (60%, 225 of 375).
For the British Transport Police, 60% of fines issued in England were not paid within 28 days (197 out of 327), while the figure was 71% for penalties imposed in Wales (17 out of 24).
It was previously revealed that about half of the fines nationwide were not paid in the 28-day period, although the president of the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC), Martin Hewitt, said that this proportion is similar to other notifications of fixed fines.
The total number of tickets issued in England and Wales between March 27 and September 21 was 18,912.
People who receive a fine for coronavirus can appeal in the first instance to the police force that issued the sanction, to try to have it withdrawn.
For the forces with the most unpaid fines, Cleveland rescinded 21% (63), Northumbria 13% (35) and the West Yorkshire Police 29% (217).
The British Transport Police for Wales withdrew 33% (8), Durham 19% (33), Humberside 1% (2), West Midlands 25% (94) and South Yorkshire 19% (70).
The figures provide a snapshot of the data collected by the forces as of September 21, and as a result of the way the figures are recorded, they may contain some overlap between the number of unpaid, rescinded, and formally challenged fines.
Attorney Raj Chada, head of Hodge Jones & Allen’s criminal defense department, described the Covid regulations as a “mess” and said criminal law must be clear and consistent, otherwise it will become “arbitrary and unfair.”
Kirsty Brimelow QC, a human rights attorney at Doughty Street Chambers, said it was “predictable” that people would stop paying fines, and that some could not pay them or did not feel they violated any laws, while others “could just be resentful. because those in power acted as if the laws did not apply to them. “
Calling for panels to be set up to review the fines, he said: “Currently, it is a lottery if you are fined and if it will be rescinded.
“And the effectiveness of issuing fines to prevent the spread of the virus is questionable.
“Rather they are adding stress and difficulties to people who are already suffering.”
ACRO data also showed that, in total, 293 fines issued between March 27 and September 21 were formally contested in England and Wales.
Madeleine Stone, a policy and legal officer with the campaign group Big Brother Watch, said the figures “make it clear that there are serious flaws in the way the police have issued fines during the pandemic” and described the unpaid confinement fines. as a “prosecution crisis waiting to happen.”, adding: “The laws governing lockouts are constantly changing, complex and poorly written.”
On Tuesday, it emerged that forces last week were told to stop handing out super-fines of £ 10,000 and instead issue a subpoena amid concerns that there was a possible disparity in the process for those who were He asked them to pay within 28 days and others who defied the penalty notices. In the court.
Later that day, the NPCC said that it had solved the problem by agreeing that anyone granted an FPN would be fully aware of the right to fight in court.
Owen Weatherill, the officer leading the police response to the pandemic, told MPs last month that it had taken a long time to understand the changing lockdown rules, and said he had lobbied the government to keep messages simple. for the public.
An NPCC spokesperson said: “We have enforced the law as set by the Government and Parliament. It is fair that fines are processed in accordance with the law and therefore we encourage people who do not intend to challenge a fine to be paid.
“If anyone is concerned about the reason they have received a fine, they can present it to the force issued by the FPN within the 28-day payment period.
“Officers will have recorded their justifications for issuing an FPN, along with providing evidence to support any breaches of regulations.
“Once a fine is challenged or not paid, the case will go to court. Police forces review all these cases to further ensure that only those cases that meet the public interest and evidentiary test are heard in court. “.
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