Nearly 30,000 are fined for flouting: Cops eject Sainsbury's shopper for refusing to wear mask while officers find four friends in crashed car after 50-mile trip to beauty spot... among latest rule-breachers snared in Covid crackdown
- Footage shows the unnamed shopper arguing with officers from Kent Police
- In another example of rule-breaking, friends drove 50-miles to 'look at snow'
- Police in England have now handed out 28,744 fines since start of lockdown
- Senior policeman Martin Hewitt has criticised government for 'mixed messages'A woman filmed herself being kicked out of Sainsbury's for refusing to wear a face covering and four people were fined for driving 50 miles to 'look at the snow' before crashing - as police handed out nearly 30,000 fines to lockdown flouters.
Footage filmed at the supermarket in Dartford on Saturday shows the unnamed shopper arguing with two officers and claiming they could not ask her to show proof of her 'disability'.
She asked them 'are you doctors?' before producing a sheet of paper printed at home that she wrongly believed proved her point and saying 'I'll be taking you to court'The female officer replied 'see you in court then' as she and her colleague led the woman out into the car park.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, officers stopped four people from different households who travelled to a Peak District beauty spot to enjoy the wintery scenes before sliding off the road during the journey.
Derbyshire Constabulary said the BMW driver lost control of the car and rolled on its side near Bamford, in the Peak District, Derbyshire after travelling from St Helens in Merseyside.
The force said: 'The four vehicle occupants were from different households. Is this essential? No. All were issued with Covid 19 tickets.' No one was injured.
The most recent figures showed police officers in England have now handed out 28,744 fines since the start of lockdown in March, with 80% going to flouters aged between 18 and 39.
On Saturday, officers stopped four people from different households who travelled to a Peak District beauty spot to enjoy the wintery scenes before sliding off the road during the joy
Despite apparently not having evidence of an exemption, the woman in the footage brandishes a piece of paper which she claims shows she doesn't need to provide any.
The female police officer replies that she doesn't need to see something she has printed out at home.
The officers then explain the store manager does not want to serve her, before marching her out of the supermarket.
On the way out, the woman says that she is being discriminated against, that the officers are liable of a fine of up to £9,000, and that she will be taking them to court.
The female police officer simply replies that she looks forward to seeing her there.
The woman then asks to record their badge numbers, which the officers calmly agree to, before finally walking away.
Although there is no legal requirement for people to carry a badge to prove they are medically exempt, police are entitled to ask for proof and can ask someone to leave or fine them if this isn't provided.
The latest evidence of lockdown flouting comes as a senior police officer criticised the government for its approach to enforcing lockdown rules, saying that ministers had been giving 'damaging' mixed messages.
Martin Hewitt, the head of the National Police Chiefs' Council, said working with government had been 'pretty challenging' and 'at times tense and difficult'.
Footage shows the unnamed shopper arguing with Kent Police officers (pictured) and claiming they could not ask her to show proof of her 'disability'
Martin Hewitt, the head of the National Police Chiefs' Council, said working with government had been 'pretty challenging' and 'at times tense and difficult'
In a speech to the London College of Policing in December, he said: 'We've pushed really hard, not always successfully, to get consistent messaging and management of expectations out of government,' he said.
'It's been very damaging to our efforts where you've got different government ministers saying different things, answering questions and giving a slightly different perception.'
NPCC chief Martin Hewitt criticised the government in a speech he gave before the third national lockdown.
He referred to the 'challenge' of enforcing different rules as they constantly changed with the course of the pandemic.
He said the police had asked the government to make these changes 'as clear and unambiguous as they could be' but had sometimes delayed enforcing new rules until they had the specific guidance.
'On some occasions, we did not start policing a new regulation, until we had got the guidance out,' he explained.
The police chief also spoke of the need for all enforcement not to be 'lumped' onto officers.
'Local authorities have enforcement powers, licencing authorities have enforcement powers, the people who run shops, pubs and restaurants all have a responsibility that the regulations are followed,' he said.
Mr Hewitt said the relationship between police and ministers had been 'pretty challenging throughout'.
In November, communities secretary Mr Jenrick wrongly suggested families could go for walks outdoors, while Mr Gove incorrectly stated that people could play golf and tennis.
Meanwhile, in September Mr Johnson admitted he 'misspoke' when explaining rules for the North East lockdown.
A Home Office spokesman said: 'We have a strong relationship with the NPCC, and police chiefs around the country, and have been in constant contact with them throughout.
'We have worked in conjunction with them to ensure the guidance is clear in a necessarily fast moving and complex environment.'
Regarding the Sainsbury's video, Kent Police said: 'At 10.55am on Saturday 16 January 2021 Kent Police was called to Sainsburys in Dartford to assist staff, who had asked a man and a woman to leave due to them not wearing a face mask.
'Officers attended and spoke to the couple, who were then escorted from the shop. No further action will be taken.'
In the video, a female officer (pictured) said 'see you in court then' as she and a colleague led her out into the car park
A student who embarked on a lockdown-breaching 150-mile journey 'for a change of scenery' had his car (pictured) seized after he stopped in the middle lane of the M62 when police pulled him over
Further recent examples of lockdown flouting include a gender reveal party, a 100-mile trip to McDonald's and an illegal boozing session inside a shed.
Police in Swansea were called to a gender reveal party in Townhill on Sunday which was attended by a number of households.
On the same day, police issued four fixed penalty notices to people at an address in the Mount Pleasant area of the city who had met to watch a football match.
On Saturday, eight people were fined after they were caught meeting at a shed converted into a bar.
Meanwhile on Thursday, a man was fined £200 for travelling more than 100 miles for a late night McDonalds.
The 34-year-old had previously received a warning from the police and was stopped on Estcourt Street in Devizes.
Another student had his car seized after embarking on a lockdown-breaching 150-mile journey 'for a change of scenery'.
The driver - who had only a provisional licence - travelled from Preston, Lancashire, to Sheffield to pick up a friend before the pair set off to Liverpool.
They were spotted going 88mph in the third lane of the M62.
He slowed down when he noticed a North West Motorway Police traffic car behind him - but stayed in the third lane for two junctions.
The driver eventually ground to a halt in the middle of the M62 - which the force said 'certainly caused a panic moment'.
Once the car pulled into the hard shoulder, police found it had two bald tyres - when the rubber of a tyre is so worn down it has little tread left.
The man - who has not been named - was reported for excess speed, inconsiderate driving, having two bald tyres, driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence and for breaching Covid restrictions, the force said.
Under the rules of England's third nation-wide lockdown, Britons are only allowed to travel outside of their local area for essential reasons.
These include travelling for work or for medical care.
Police also wrote the driver up for having no insurance, as any policy he had would have been invalidated by his escapades, and his car was seized.
Matt Hancock is filmed out in London park after Boris Johnson's national plea to 'stay home this weekend'
By Jemma Carr and Jack Elsom for MailOnline
Matt Hancock was seen 'covered in mud' while carrying a rugby ball through a London park this afternoon the day after Boris Johnson pleaded with the nation to 'stay at home this weekend'.
The Prime Minister yesterday released a video calling on the public to 'think twice' before leaving the house as he moved to cool rising optimism amid a drop in daily infections and the vaccination of more than 3.5million people.
He urged everyone to behave as if they have coronavirus, warning that asymptomatic 'silent spreaders' are unwittingly fuelling the crisis and the next person infected 'could be you'.But his sobering clarion call did little to put off crowds who headed to busy parks - including the Health Secretary who was filmed by a passerby casually walking through Queen's Park in North London while clutching a rugby ball.
In the clip, Mr Hancock, who is not wearing a mask, smiles as a member of the public who remarks at how 'muddy' he is.
The witness told MailOnline: 'I was there at about 3.30 this afternoon... Suddenly I saw Matt Hancock, he was there playing rugby with his son I think. He walked right up to me and I saw he was covered head to toe in mud.'
While rugby is a favourite of his boss, the Prime Minister, father-of-three Mr Hancock is instead known for his cricketing prowess and plays for the parliamentary side.
Lockdown rules state that people can leave their homes for exercise by themselves, with the people they live with or with a legally-permitted support bubble. Official guidance does not rule out ball sports.
Ministers are launching an advertising blitz to hammer home the importance of sticking to lockdown rules while the biggest vaccination drive in British history paves a path out of the pandemic.
In the clip, Mr Hancock - who is not wearing a mask - smiles as a member of the public in Queen's Park remarks at how 'muddy' he is
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