Lockdown fines in YOUR area: Check how many fines have been issued in YOUR local area
LOCKDOWN continues throughout the UK in varying forms. How many fines have been issued in YOUR area since lockdown began?
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Lockdown rules have been eased across all four nations of the UK, with England a step ahead of other countries. New rules such as 'social bubbles', meeting in groups outdoors and unlimited exercises have lifted the strain of lockdown life for many. However, rules are still in place and police have been issuing fines up and down the country to those who haven't been playing by the rules.
A total of 17,997 fixed penalty notices, including 15,715 in England and 2,282 in Wales, were recorded from the beginning of lockdown to June 8, according to provisional data released by the National Police Chiefs' Council.
Some 1,526 tickets were issued in England since restrictions were first eased on May 13.
Just 161 notices have been handed out since June 1, when groups of six people were first permitted to meet outdoors.
What can you be fined for?
Fines have been issued for being in groups larger than six, unnecessary long-distance travel, and loitering, to name a few.
Not observing social distancing rules cannot be challenged by police as the guidance has not been written into the law.
In England, you can be fined £100 on the spot if police believe you are breaching lockdown rules.
This will be lowered to £50 if paid within 14 days but fines will double for each repeat offence, up to a maximum of £3,200.
This data includes fines for breaches of the full lockdown when the public was only allowed out to exercise for one hour per day and to travel for essential reasons, such as food and medicine, and for the ongoing amended lockdown.
Here are the total number of fines issued by police forces in England between March 27 and June 8 for breaches of the coronavirus lockdown laws:
Avon and Somerset: 342
Bedfordshire: 291
British Transport Police (BTP): 325
Cambridgeshire: 134
Cheshire: 199
City of London: 66
Cleveland: 299
Cumbria: 597
Derbyshire: 251
Devon and Cornwall: 948
Dorset: 819
Durham: 170
Essex: 241
Gloucestershire: 234
Greater Manchester: 304
Hampshire: 244
Hertfordshire: 269
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Humberside: 121
Kent: 117
Lancashire: 770
Leicestershire: 365
Lincolnshire: 231
Merseyside: 487
Metropolitan Police: 1,063
MoD Police: 35
Norfolk: 411
North Yorkshire: 1,082
Northamptonshire: 365
Northumbria: 272
Nottinghamshire: 185
South Yorkshire: 377
Staffordshire: 41
Suffolk: 259
Surrey: 498
Sussex: 849
Thames Valley: 816
Warwickshire: 58
West Mercia: 176
West Midlands: 393
West Yorkshire: 826
Wiltshire: 185
Total: 15,715
Number of fines issued by police forces in Wales in the same timeframe:
BTP - 24
Dyfed-Powys: 1,509
Gwent: 118
North Wales: 350
South Wales: 281
Total: 2,282