Police stay tight-lipped over how many fines they have issued during coronavirus lockdown

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Officers now have the powers to fine or arrest those believed to be flouting social distancing rules
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David Child1 April 2020
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Some police forces have been accused of being overzealous in enforcing lockdown laws rolled out by the Government amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Officers now have the powers to fine or arrest those believed to be flouting social distancing rules under new legislation enacted last week.

The Press Association asked police forces in England and Wales how many fines have been issued and how many arrests made since the new regulations were introduced.

Of the 43 forces contacted, around a quarter said they had not issued any fines or made any arrests so far. A similar amount refused to provide details.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council is gathering information on how many fines have been issued but is yet to make the information public.

Here is a breakdown of the responses from forces in England and Wales:

Avon and Somerset Constabulary – No arrests or fines

Bedfordshire Police – No arrests or fines

Cambridgeshire Constabulary – Information not provided

Cheshire Constabulary – Summonsed six people, the force said on social media

City of London Police – No response

Cleveland Police – No response

Cumbria Constabulary – No response

Derbyshire Constabulary – No arrests or fines

Devon & Cornwall Police – Information not provided

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Dorset Police – Information not provided

Durham Constabulary – No arrests or fines

Dyfed-Powys Police – No response

Essex Police – No response

Gloucestershire Constabulary – No response

Greater Manchester Police – No response

Gwent Police – Information not provided

Hampshire Constabulary – No arrests or fines

Hertfordshire Constabulary – Information not provided

Humberside Police – No response

Kent Police – Information not provided

Lancashire Constabulary – 123 fines issued, the force said on social media

Leicestershire Police – No arrests or fines

Lincolnshire Police – No arrests or fines

Merseyside Police – No response

Metropolitan Police Service – Information not provided

Norfolk Constabulary – Information not provided

North Wales Police – No response

North Yorkshire Police – Information not provided

Northamptonshire Police – No arrests or fines

Northumbria Police – Information not provided

Nottinghamshire Police – No response

South Wales Police – Information not provided

South Yorkshire Police – No response

Staffordshire Police – No response

Suffolk Constabulary – No arrests or fines

Surrey Police – No response

Sussex Police – No response

Thames Valley Police – Information not provided

Warwickshire Police – No response

West Mercia Police – No response

West Midlands Police – No arrests or fines

West Yorkshire Police – Information not provided

Wiltshire Police – No arrests or fines

Additional reporting by the Press Association.

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