Up until 2 December, people can now be hit with a £1,000 fine for failing to self-isolate when ordered to, with the penalty increasing up to £10,000 for repeat offences. Attending or organising large gatherings exceeding 30 people also carries a £10,000 fine, while businesses face the same penalty for refusing to comply with restrictions. Here are 11 of the biggest fines that have been issued by police for flouting the rules.
9. Piccadilly protest - £10,000
The organiser of an anti-lockdown protest at Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester was issued a £10,000 fine, after it was attended by around 600 people. Paul Boys, a fitness trainer and ‘ex-military veteran’, has said he will contest it after insisting the rally “wasn’t illegal.” Photo: OLI SCARFF
10. Piers Corbyn anti-lockdown rally - £10,000
The brother of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn became one of the first people to receive a £10,000 penalty for hosting a gathering of more than 30 people. Corbyn was arrested and fined for organising a demonstration in Trafalgar Square in London against lockdown restrictions Photo: Peter Summers
11. Wigan cup of tea - £200
A man was issued a fixed penalty notice, which start at £200, for breaching Covid regulations to visit a friend’s house for a cup of tea. Greater Manchester Police said the man “tried to lie about why he was there” after being found out. The fine for leaving home without a reasonable excuse doubles for every breach, up to a maximum of £6,400. Photo: Shutterstock