Party of 16 handed fines at gathering in Eckington

Officers broke up a party in Eckington – handing out 16 fines to people breaching lockdown rules.

The gathering on Saturday 16 January, at the home of a woman in her 20s, saw more than a dozen people packed into the property in clear breach of the current rules.

The group, made up of men and women in their late teens and early twenties, were all hit with £200 fines and ordered to leave the address.

Inspector Nick Booth, one of the officers in charge of the force’s response to COVID-19, said: “Hundreds of thousands of people across Derbyshire are doing exactly the right thing during this lockdown – staying home and saving lives.

“But a selfish few are breaking those rules and putting not only themselves but those most vulnerable to this virus in serious danger.

“This week we have seen the military drafted in to help at Chesterfield hospital due to the massive pressure on our colleagues in the NHS.

“The doctors and nurses are working day and night, putting their lives on the line, to help care for those struck down by this virus.

“All we ask is that you continue to play your part and help bring the virus under control.”