CORONAVIRUS lockdown fines could nearly DOUBLE to £100 for the first breach and then £3,200 for repeat offenders.
It comes after 400 fixed penalty notices were dished out by cops for consistent rule breakers in four weeks to April 27 in England Wales.
Ministers hope the new tougher stance will convince a hard core to finally abide by the lockdown measures, the Telegraph reports.
Despite the majority of Brits doing as they are told startling figures emerged last month that showed police were dishing out fines at a rate of every five minutes.
A total of 9,176 fines were issued in England and Wales in just four weeks with more than a third being for young people between 18 and 24 and another 31 per cent going to those aged 25-34.
According to the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC), almost 400 of the penalties were issued to repeat offenders.
One person was even fined six times.
Under the new no-nonsense regime a fine will start at £100 then double for a repeat offence.
A third offence would see a £400 fine, a fourth £800, then £1,600 and finally a sixth offence would cost £3,200.
This would mean that a consistent rule flouter would end up footing a bill of £6,300.
Failing to pay the penalty could result in a court date and prison time.
A Whitehall source said: “In the next phase of our fight against coronavirus some of the social distancing measures will be relaxed, others will be toughened up.
“Hand in hand with the new rules will come tougher enforcement powers for the police to crack down on the small minority who break the rules – and stop them putting everyone else at greater risk.”
Authorities had previously given police the ability to slap Brits with £60 fines, if they failed to comply after officers engaged with them.
NPCC Chair Martin Hewitt said: “As the latest provisional figures on the number of fines issued show, the vast majority of people continue to do the right thing, staying at home in order to protect the NHS and help save lives.”
In London crowds have been dispersed for having picnics or playing football in parks, while in Hove, Sussex, a couple were charged under the new Coronavirus Act for having a barbecue on the beach.
However, a top cop has warned against “overzealous” policing during the lockdown.
Assistant commissioner Neil Basu said he feared some extreme reactions from forces could lead to a backlash from the public.
He added that police forces must keep “the trust and confidence of the public” while “policing by consent”.
And Derbyshire Police was forced to defend sharing footage of people rambling in the Curbar Edge area of the Peak District, saying travelling to remote areas for exercise did not count as “essential travel”.
Lockdown measures announced by Boris Johnson in March mean people should only leave their homes if they are travelling to work as a key worker, getting vital food supplies, a daily dose of exercise or ensuring the welfare of relatives.
READ MORE FROM SOURCE: https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/11538089/coronavirus-lockdown-fines-double/
