Police fined a man £10,000 for organising and hosting a party with up to 60 people inside his flat. 

People reported a disturbance in Manchester city centre at about 12.30am on Sunday.

When officers responded they found between 50 and 60 people partying in the two-bedroom flat. 

None of them were wearing masks or social distancing and they were blasting music through a sound system with commercial-sized speakers. 

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On Friday, Greater Manchester Police issued a £10,000 fine to a 38-year-old man for hosting a gathering of more than 30 people at his house. 

Superintendent Chris Hill said organising this flat party was ‘a clear act of non-compliance which put those in attendance at risk of Covid and could, ultimately, increase demand on the NHS’.

In Canterbury, Kent Police fined four people £200 each for having a party with about 20 people in their flat.

They cleared everyone out of the home at about 1.30am on Thursday, which was the first day of England’s second national lockdown. 

The four people who had organised the party, two men and two women, were all in their early 20s.

Assistant Chief Constable Claire Nix said: ‘Hosting large gatherings in the middle of a pandemic, especially on the first day of a new national lockdown, is completely unacceptable and we do not hesitate to take action against those who display such blatant disregard for the coronavirus regulations.’

Justice Secretary Robert Buckland said this week he supported clamping down on the ‘tiny minority’ of people who are not willing to obey the lockdown and said there would be increased fines for repeat offenders.

His comments came after police chiefs warned people who ignore coronavirus restrictions to be prepared to ‘face the consequences of greater levels of enforcement’.

Police in England can fine people £200 for their first offence which can be lowered to £100 if it is paid within 14 days, £400 for a second offence which doubles with every offence up to a maximum of £6,400. 

And then police can fine people who have organised large gatherings of over 30 people £10,000. 

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