Breaking: Student fined £10,000 for house party in Lenton

A 19-year-old student was fined a whopping £10,000 for hosting a house party in Lenton on Friday night, in contravention of the on-going COVID-19 social distancing rules.

Neighbours from Harlaxton Drive initially reported the party just after 10pm, and local Nottingham Community Protection Officers were met with “hostility from the organiser” before the police were called.

Nottinghamshire Police found 50 guests inside the house and later ordered them to leave before issuing a £10,000 fixed penalty notice to the host.

This comes just days before new rules come in force that mean only six people can meet at any one time.

Now, officers are warning others thinking of hosting parties this weekend ahead of the changes to think again or face the consequences.

Steve Cooper, Assistant Chief Constable, from Nottinghamshire Police reiterated the importance of sticking to the guidelines not just for ourselves but also others and declared:

“We need to all remember we are very much still in the middle of a global pandemic and we all need to take responsibility for our actions.

“This party was a clear example of a householder who deliberately flouted the rules without a care for anyone else and as a result we have used the full powers we have to deal with this.

“Under current rules we can issue fines to anyone hosting gatherings of more than 30 people which can result in fines of up to £10,000. And now we are on the eve of rules becoming even tighter so there can be gatherings of no more than six.”

He continued: “I want to send out a clear message to anyone who is thinking of deliberately hosting parties tonight or tomorrow night ahead of the rules changing to please not do this. As we have demonstrated here we are not afraid to use the full powers we have and we will not tolerate those who are deliberately put other people’s lives in danger.”

Additionally, Amy English, a Neighbourhood Policing Inspector for City Central, stated: “Residents have had fair warning that we won’t tolerate people flouting the laws and regulations around the Coronavirus restrictions must be adhered to by everyone. In this case the resident also had the chance to shut the party down when they were first visited by our council colleagues.

“Despite blatantly breaching the regulations, there’s no doubt in my mind that not everyone attending would have been social distancing which is irresponsible and puts everyone’s health at risk.

“Throughout this pandemic the vast majority of local people have followed the advice and engaged really well with us. We have used enforcement only as a last resort and that will continue.”

Furthermore, Councillor Rebecca Langton, Nottingham City Council Portfolio Holder for Communities, Highways and Strategic Transport continued to argue that: “The police’s action last night sends a clear message that breaking the rules, especially in the context of a global pandemic, will not be tolerated and each organisation in partnership will take whatever steps we can to keep our communities safe.”