West Yorkshire Police issue more than 700 fines for lockdown rule breakers

West Yorkshire Police has issued more than 700 fines to people who have broken the lockdown rules.
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In total, the force has given out 758 fines to lockdown flouters in the region between March 27 and May 11.

North Yorkshire, which has seen an increase in visitors from West Yorkshire breaking lockdown rules, issued 843 fines.

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Police forces in South Yorkshire issued 356 and Humberside Police, which polices East Yorkshire, issued 103.

Police patrolling in Malham, North Yorkshire which saw hundreds of visitors from outside the region during lockdown.Police patrolling in Malham, North Yorkshire which saw hundreds of visitors from outside the region during lockdown.
Police patrolling in Malham, North Yorkshire which saw hundreds of visitors from outside the region during lockdown.

In total 2,060 have been issued by forces across region and 13,445 across England.

On Sunday, May 10, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that police fines would increase.

The first fine someone receives if police believe they are flouting restrictions on movement amid the coronavirus outbreak will be £100.

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Fines will double for each repeat offence, up to a maximum of £3,200.

Today's figures were released as the CPS admitted dozens of people have been wrongly charged by police under the new laws.

All 44 charges brought under the Coronavirus Act, which allows officers to remove or detain a “suspected infectious person” for screening and assessment, since it was brought in on March 27 were incorrect.

And 12 charges under the Health Protection Regulations 2020, which give powers to break up gatherings and fine people breaching restriction of movement rules, were also wrong.

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The figures come following a CPS review of all 231 police charges under coronavirus legislation in England and Wales up to the end of April, where the prosecution has either been stopped or ended in a conviction.

Service director of legal services, Gregor McGill, said: “Under the regulations, the vast majority, that’s 175 out of 187, have been charged correctly.

“And these included people driving from London to Leicester for a party, groups drinking and misbehaving in the park and other groups hanging around the town centre after being asked to go home by police on several occasions.

“Where mistakes were made, it was usually because Welsh regulations were used in England, or vice versa.

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“Under the Act, all 44 charges were incorrect because they did not cover potentially infectious people, which is what the legislation is intended for.”

He said 38 of the 44 charges had been brought alongside other offences, including assaults on emergency workers, theft and burglary, while 31 of the wrongful charges were withdrawn in court, with 13 wrongful convictions returned to court to be withdrawn.

Of those 13, some 11 were substituted with charges under the regulations.

Total: 13,445