Yahoo Finance Cops bust huge illegal party during country's strict Covid lockdown
More than 200 people were busted at a huge illegal party last week, breaching the UK’s Covid restrictions amid their second national lockdown.
Police officers released shocking footage of the January 17 festivities, saying they were called to an address in London’s Knightsbridge district around 3.30am.
Cops said there were more than 200 partygoers, gathering despite the country’s spiralling battle against its own new mutant strain of Covid, which scientists say is highly-infectious and up to 90 per cent more deadly.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered the new national lockdown in early January, saying Britain was facing a ‘critical moment’ in coronavirus pandemic.
In England, residents have been ordered to stay at home and not leave unless they have a “reasonable excuse”.
No one is allowed to meet up socially with anyone they do not live with or have a support bubble with, according to BBC.
Anyone who breaks the rules to attend a party of 15 people faces a A$1,419 fine. Those who organised the gathering can get slapped with a A$17,733 fine.
On Saturday, the Telegraph reported that the British government has quietly extended lockdown laws to give councils the power to close pubs, restaurants, shops and public spaces until July 17.
Officers assaulted by partygoers
Some revellers became hostile as police worked to break up the crowded party, pushing past cops in an effort to dodge a fine, London officers said.
The Met Police said two officers were injured as a result.
“While the majority of breaches have been resolved without incident, it deeply saddens me that some individuals have chosen to assault police officers who are simply doing their part in the collective battle against this deadly virus,” Superintendent Michael Walsh with the Metropolitan Police said.
A large group of people remained inside the premise when police arrived at the scene and officers cordoned off the entrance to detain people.
Around 30 people were fined and the owner of the establishment has been ordered to shut down the premises for three months.
UK police break up illegal wedding
British police said on Friday (local time) they had broken up a wedding with about 150 guests in violation of Covid-19 lockdown rules, which only allow six people to attend.
Weddings are currently supposed to take place only under “exceptional circumstances”.
However, officers found a large gathering in Stamford Hill, in north London, with the windows covered to stop people seeing inside.
The organiser of the wedding could be fined up to A$17,733, and five others were issued $354 penalties each.
The police had initially reported that some 400 people had attended the wedding. An investigation has been launched to identify further offences.
There have been more than 3.6 million confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the UK since the start of the global coronavirus pandemic.
On Thursday, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it was too early to say when the lockdown in England will end.
Ministers have appealed to people to stay at home as much as they can to prevent hospitals being overwhelmed and to give authorities time to roll out vaccines.
With Reuters
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