Leeds teens and young adults fined for breaking lockdown after driving to North Yorkshire to 'watch the sunrise'

Four people from Leeds in their teens and early twenties have been fined by police after they broke lockdown rules by travelling out of their local area to 'watch the sunrise'.
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The driver of the car was stopped at 4.50am on Monday on the A64 near Bilbrough.

All four of the people in the car were given fixed penalty notices by North Yorkshire Police for being outside their place of residence.

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Stock image - photo: West Yorkshire Police Roads Policing UnitStock image - photo: West Yorkshire Police Roads Policing Unit
Stock image - photo: West Yorkshire Police Roads Policing Unit

It comes as Superintendent Mike Walker, who is leading the North Yorkshire Police response to Covid-19, said they will only be welcoming visitors to North Yorkshire again when it is safe to do so.

He added that police will increase their presence in the county as lockdown restrictions begin to lift and around Easter.

Five men have also been given fines for holding a hot tub party in a lodge near York, while two house parties took place in Scarborough over the weekend which led to police issuing 20 fines.

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Supt Mike Walker said: "We can all see that better times are on the horizon, that’s why we must keep going and not allow all the hard work and sacrifice to be undone through complacency.

"We all must keep adhering to the health protection regulations around travel and gatherings, maintaining social distance, wearing face coverings in shops and on public transport, and keeping our hands as clean as possible.

"From a policing point of view, we will continue to play our part in tackling the public health crisis as we head towards the Easter holidays.

"When it is safe to do so, we will welcome visitors to the county again. However, everyone can expect to see an increased policing presence as we work alongside our partners to help keep the virus at bay in the weeks and months ahead."

Some 1,662 fines have been issued across York and North Yorkshire in this period of lockdown with 3,555 issued since the beginning of restrictions almost a year ago.