Weekend day-trippers to Corby country park rack up Covid fines

People meeting up in a popular Corby country park from different households sparked a flurry of fines over the warm weekend.

Officers and PCSOs from Northants Police who were patrolling East Carlton Park issued 18 fixed penalty notices over two days to groups, some of whom had travelled more than 60 miles to meet family.

Police stepped in to stop people gathering and sharing picnics with fines handed out to stop mixing of different bubbles.

Corby's Covid seven-day case rates still remain the highest in England with 226 per 100,000. Case rates are declining but more slowly than in other parts of the country.

A spokesman for Northants Police said: "Some of the tickets were issued for people travelling from Hertfordshire to East Carlton Park to meet family.

"Five people were also issued tickets for having a picnic with people from different households and others were also issued tickets simply for gathering in groups all from different households."

On Saturday (February 27) evening proactive patrols completed by Corby Neighbourhood Policing Team officers and PCSOs resulted in five tickets being issued for a breach of Covid regulations and nine unders 18 were caught.

As the warm weather continued on Sunday, with blue skies and sunshine, Corby Neighbourhood Policing Team reported that they had issued 13 Covid Fixed Penalty Notices for various breaches.

The police have a legal duty to make sure the rules are enforced, alongside councils, environmental health and trading standards officers.

A breach of coronavirus regulations can result in a fixed penalty notice - the Covid equivalent of a traffic offence like speeding.

In England, fines start at £200 for the first offence, lowered to £100 if paid within 14 days.

Between January 18 and February 14, Northants Police officers issued 655 Fixed Penalty Notices for Covid-19 breaches, meaning the force has now issued a total of 1,954 tickets since the coronavirus pandemic began last March.