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Six people fined for trying to leave the country breaching Covid-19 restrictions

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11:38 20/11/2020

Six people have been fined in 24 hours after trying to leave the country in breach of the Government’s Covid-19 regulations.
 
All those stopped by Kent Police officers at the Port of Dover and the Channel Tunnel on Wednesday 18 and Thursday 19 November 2020 were attempting to leave the country without reasonable excuse, during a time in which being outdoors and leaving the UK is not permitted unless for specific reasons. This is part of a set of four-week restrictions in place to keep people safe from the Coronavirus.
 
Five of the six were spoken to by officers at the Port of Dover, after having been advised to return home earlier that day at the Channel Tunnel only to travel to Dover in a second attempt to leave the country. They were all from London, Manchester and Hertfordshire.
 
The sixth person, from London was spoken to at the Port of Dover, advised of their responsibilities and encouraged to adhere to the guidelines, only to return ten minutes later to attempt to leave the country again.
 
They were each given a fixed penalty notice of £200.
 
Assistant Chief Constable Claire Nix said: ‘It is really disappointing that a minority of people are not adhering to the Covid-19 regulations.
 
‘The Government has made it very clear that the best way to support the NHS and save lives is to stay at home and it is our job to ensure people are respecting the measures designed to protect everyone.
 
‘Until 2 December people should only be leaving home for the reasons the Government has listed, which includes - for example - work, exercise, medical appointments, food and caring for vulnerable people. Everyone should familiarise themselves with the full list of exemptions and understand what is expected of them at this time. I would urge people to seriously think about making that journey.
 
‘In most situations, we can resolve breaches without having to issue a fine by engaging, explaining and encouraging individuals to adhere to the regulations but in cases like these, when people blatantly disregard the advice and refuse to comply, we are left with no choice but to take enforcement action.
 
‘In Kent we will continue to police in a sensible, proportionate and fair manner and ask that everyone continues to take personal responsibility for controlling the spread of the virus and protect themselves from harm.’