Gosport police fine pair for travelling 15 miles to eat their lunch in the car by the seaside

The 40-year-old man and a 34-year-old woman from Southampton, Hampshire, have been reported for summons for fixed penalty notices after they travelled to the Marine Parade car park in Lee-on-the-Solent.

Hampshire police has confirmed the pair were fined for being in breach of Covid-19 regulations for travelling ‘to eat lunch by the sea’ while inside their car.

Gosport Police posted on Twitter: ‘A 40-year-old male and 34-year-old female, both from Southampton, were also yesterday reported for summons, relating to a FPN for breaching Covid-19 regulations in Lee-on-the-Solent.

‘The pair had travelled to see a friend – a friend who had recently tested positive for Covid-19.’

A Hampshire police spokeswoman confirmed the pair had been fined because they had travelled without lawful excuse, not because they were from different households.

Some Twitter users were shocked by the police action, saying that Covid-19 fines were ‘getting out of hand’ and the police needed to apply ‘common sense’.

One user wrote: ‘It’s gone way too far now these restrictions are ridiculous.’

Responding to concerns about policing the lockdown rules, the force spokeswoman said: ‘The message is simple, you should be staying at home. It’s vital that everyone understands this and observes the restrictions in place

‘We would like to remind everyone that we all need to play our part in adhering to the Government restrictions in order to prevent the spread of this deadly virus.

‘Robust enforcement action will be taken by police as required, where blatant breaches in public places or private premises are reported to us.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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