Woman fined £660 for having no good reason to be at train station during lockdown
2 April 2020, 11:47
Police have fined a woman for 'loitering between platforms' at a station in Newcastle.
A woman from York has been fined for £800 for 'having no good reason' to be at a train station.
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Police found the woman 'loitering between platforms' at Newcastle Central Station on Saturday, and she refused to explain why she was travelling or justify her reason for being there.
She was arrested on suspicion of breaking restrictions imposed by the Coronavirus Act 2020, and was subsequently fined £660, and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £66 and costs of £85, according to reports.
The woman is the first person to be arrested at a station for breaching new Covid-19 measures.
BTP Assistant Chief Constable Sean O'Callaghan said, according to The Sun: "While a ticket offence had also been committed in this case, enforcement of any sort under the new regulations really is a last resort, especially arrest.
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He said that officers attempted to engage with the woman, adding "I can assure you we would much rather not have to take such action.
"We strongly urge the public to do the right thing and help us save lives by staying at home and slowing the spread of the virus."
Police have been cracking down on people flouting lockdown rules across the country, following Boris Johnson's recent announcement that the UK public could only leave the house under certain circumstances.
The Prime Minister said: "You should not be meeting friends, you should not be meeting family members who don't live in your home, you should not be shopping except for essentials.
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"If you don't follow the rules, the police have power to enforce them including with fines. We will immediately close all shops selling non-essential goods, other premises including libraries and places of worship.
"We will stop all gatherings of more than two people in public and stop all social events - excluding funerals".
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