More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
A barber cutting people's hair and men enjoying a football match, including one who had travelled from Lancashire, were among more than 140 people fined for breaching Covid regulations in the county over the past few days.
The barber being confronted
Officers visited the barber shop in Northfleet after it was reported the business was breaching Covid regulations.
Once inside, the man who owned the business told officers he was still taking appointments.
While officers spoke to him, his phone rang and it was a customer telling him they were ‘out back’ and waiting for their haircut.
The man was fined as a result.
Officers also caught a group of about 20 men taking part in an unofficial football match at a venue in Dartford. Four of them were issued fines.
The men accessed the pitch via a hole in the fence of a venue in Green Road, on Sunday afternoon.
When the police arrived the majority of those present ran off, however a number returned to collect personal items from the pitch and were met by police and fined.
One man admitted to police he had travelled from Chorley in Lancashire to take part in the match.
The men involved in a football match
A woman and four men were also fined after officers attended an address in Cox Drive, Hawkinge at 8.13pm on Saturday.
The group were having a party.
And in Canterbury, five women were fined after police were called to a property in Zealand Road, on Sunday evening following reports of a student house party.
The party, which involved around 30 people who left the house on police arrival, had been arranged to celebrate a student’s 21st birthday.
They were amongst 146 fined over the weekend for breaching coronavirus restrictions and now brings the total number of fines issued for breaches to 1,343 in Kent, of which 993 were handed out since January 1.
With lockdown measures still in place to help control the spread of Covid-19, to save lives and to protect the NHS, police are urging people to follow government guidelines and do their part to protect others.
Assistant Chief Constable, Claire Nix said: "Whilst it is encouraging that the rate of infection is falling and more people are being vaccinated - now is not the time to drop our guard and be complacent, we are not yet at the stage where lockdown can be relaxed.
"I would like to thank those residents who are doing the right thing and following the guidelines, it is a difficult time for everyone and I appreciate it is frustrating when you witnesses or learn of people breaching the guidelines - this selfish behaviour puts others in harms way.
"We will not hesitate in taking action against those who blatantly ignore lockdown measures and put some of the most vulnerable members of our community at risk."
