Police in Manchester issue 171 notices over Covid-19 breaches

G reater Manchester Police has issued 171 Fixed Penalty Notices for breaching government guidelines during the coronavirus pandemic.

Half were issued to men aged between 18 and 24 with seven notices given to people travelling into the county. On one occasion officers stopped four young men who had travelled from Yorkshire to buy a burger. The age of offenders range from 18 to 52.

Assistant Chief Constable Chris Sykes said: “It’s important to stress that the vast majority of people are adhering to the guidelines. These people are ultimately saving people’s lives and we want to sincerely thank those who are following the guidance, as we recognise they are living in unprecedented and hugely difficult times.

“However, there are a minority of people who are continuing to ignore the guidelines and putting others at risk. In these circumstances, the priority for us has always been to strike a balance between engagement and enforcement.

“We’ve taken a common sense approach, taking into consideration the principle of proportionality.”

According to GMP a particular challenge is around house parties with legislation for Covid-19 designed to deal with breaches in public spaces, limiting the use of FPNs in homes. The force said there were repeated reports of parties at housing association properties.