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Original poster

Has anybody been penalised yet?

41 replies

Eckhart · 04/04/2020 20:25

There's pictures and I've seen it for myself. People sitting around in groups in parks with beers. Groups congregating, chatting, blocking pathways and making social distancing nigh on impossible for those of us who are doing our best. The security guy at the supermarket, checking us, one in, one out, but standing in a position where everybody had to literally squeeze past him.

Do you know of anybody who's been fined? Have you seen the police stop anybody (except on the major roads)? Have you seen the police at all?

We can't justify a stronger lockdown if the current rules aren't being enforced.

OP posts:
Original poster
Eckhart · 04/04/2020 21:01

Anybody? Has this thread just not been seen, or do we just not know anybody who's been penalised? Any of us?

OP posts:
Original poster
Eckhart · 04/04/2020 22:04

Not one?

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pinktonicwater · 04/04/2020 22:06

Sussex Police put out a statement saying two people are going to appear in court after having BBQs on the beach today and breaching the Coronavirus Act

littlemixarerubbish · 04/04/2020 22:06

There were police in my local park today talking to people that appeared to be sunbathing (but not to people sitting on benches, surely it's the same thing but just in a different position?). And they were also breaking up groups playing football.

Kateplaysrugbyinmydreams · 04/04/2020 22:09

My colleague was stopped by the police late the other night. I guess they were looking for people doing long journeys unnecessarily by night. She was actually going home from a late operational manager shift at the hospital so they had a lovely blue light chat.

EL8888 · 04/04/2020 22:11

Yep lm aware of people in London through my work

ilovecherries · 04/04/2020 22:14

No, but I’m not doing anything that would generate any police interest, which means I also don’t see anyone else doing anything.

Randomschoolworker19 · 04/04/2020 22:18

I've seen more police and PCSOs about but can't say I've seen or know of anyone being personally stopped or fined.

I personally feel we're being a bit too lax and lenient with some people.

Didier Lallement Police Cheif in Paris has the right idea when he says, "this is not a video game... this is very real .... there are dead people...."

Dannn · 04/04/2020 22:20

I was stopped by the police on my way home from work, I am an ICU nurse and I showed them my badge they were very.l nice about it. They said I was the first person they had stopped who had a genuine reason to be out.

DeRigueurMortis · 04/04/2020 22:34

No but there was a Police van in our village today (unusual).

The vast majority of people are being sensible.

The local mini supermarket has distancing lines and a "route" that you can't backtrack from without going round again (they advise everyone to have a shopping list and be organised), a staff member is sanitising shopping baskets and only a limited amount of people are allowed in the store. Nearly everyone is following the rules (apart from 2 men ahead of me in the mini supermarket who decided to stop for a chat they could have had outside - albeit from a distance but it stopped the "flow" round the shop and meant those of us behind them were waiting until the lady behind them told them to stop being selfish and catch up outside).

All that said the local FB page has said there have been teen groups (so not just siblings) playing football in the sports field and it's that the Police apparently came to break up.

I'm surprised tbh as overall the community has reacted well (good volunteer system for shopping/pharmacy pick up for the vulnerable/shielded/isolating, people on walks giving each other space etc) but I guess even in a village of 3k people there are going to be some idiots.

Original poster
Eckhart · 04/04/2020 22:37

Given the reports, and my own experience, I'd hope this thread would be flooded with people saying ''Yup, my mate/brother/colleague was stopped/fined'

There are distressingly few responses, given how much drama can be created over very little on MN, particularly regarding COVID19.

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Insideout99 · 04/04/2020 22:40

A woman in my local city was fined £660. I did hear they were trying to over turn it though

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/news.sky.com/story/amp/coronavirus-woman-fined-650-for-refusing-to-tell-police-why-she-was-out-11966813

Original poster
Eckhart · 04/04/2020 22:41

The vast majority of people are being sensible

I agree, and that's always the case. But the police only exist because of the minority who aren't.

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Haffiana · 04/04/2020 22:46

Yep lm aware of people in London through my work

Do you have any details on this? The Met Police Commissioner was on record a couple of days ago saying that they had issued no penalties at all and would carry on simply advising people about non-essential journeys and dispersing groups.

sunshinewishes · 04/04/2020 22:48

I've applied 4 sets of bail conditions putting them under house arrest if that helps?

LilyPond2 · 04/04/2020 23:01

Saw the police drive past this evening on a residential road where I don't usually see them. But round here people are keeping to the rules as far as I can see, so no need for the police to be handing out penalties.

Itsjustmee · 04/04/2020 23:01

My son was stopped tonight by the police at about 8pm
They told him they thought he was possibly delivering drugs doing something dodgy and driving suspiciously 😂 DS drives a newish RR with tinted windows and probably had the music very loud . He had driven up the rd and then back again as he missed the turning he wanted . So the police flashed him and pulled him over .

He actually works for a security company and was driving to various sites to check on them before starting work himself .
He said the police were fine with him very polite and chatty and told him it wasn’t a problem as he could prove what he was doing . They didn’t ask him for any ID.

SamSeabornforPresident · 04/04/2020 23:05

There are distressingly few responses, given how much drama can be created over very little on MN, particularly regarding COVID19

Why 'distressingly' few? Surely it's a positive that most of us have not encountered groups of people breaking the rules?

Original poster
Eckhart · 04/04/2020 23:05

So it looks like from all of MN, we can pull together about 7 penalties.

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Original poster
Eckhart · 04/04/2020 23:09

why 'distressingly' few? Surely it's a positive that most of us have not encountered groups of people breaking the rules

Many, many MN posters are currently up in arms about how people around them are breaking the rules. It's distressing to see, in the light of that, so little evidence of the rule breakers being disciplined.

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Original poster
Eckhart · 04/04/2020 23:11

@sunshinewishes It helps!

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OtterPotter · 04/04/2020 23:12

I was stopped by police while walking, he asked me if I was local. I was standing outside my house, so thankfully he believed me!

TrainspottingWelsh · 04/04/2020 23:31

I was stopped on my way to the vets to pick up medication, I assume because the road I was on also leads to a tourist hotspot. I assume they believed me because they didn't ask to check anything and just waved me through on my way back 20 minutes later.

A friend in a different area was stopped on her way to do her horses, the first one seemed to think it wasn't allowed and the law said you had to let the stables do it. Cos naturally all horse owners have their own yard staff. But luckily his colleague knew the actual guidelines and law and left her to go on her way.

Hearsay that someone in a town 10 miles away was fined for a party but there are several variations on the story so it's no doubt just rumour.

Original poster
Eckhart · 05/04/2020 11:21

Gosh, I was hoping to log back on this morning and find this thread heavily populated with news of lots more policing.

I guess this explains why people aren't sticking to the rules too well. If they introduce stricter measures with policing at this level I'll be furious!

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Plump82 · 05/04/2020 11:29

I was stopped on Friday there. They just asked me where I'd been and where I was going. I showed them my work pass and said i had a letter from my work. They were very polite about it all.