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Police forces around the country crackdown on ‘partygoers’ amid lockdown fatigue

Tuesday, 16 February 2021 5:42 PM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 16 February 2021 5:42 PM ]

"Illegal" house and street parties are proliferating across England as young people appear more and more determined to defy the authorities

In a sign that England’s third national lockdown is near breaking point, police forces around the country have been breaking up illegal house parities and “silent” discos and then meting out draconian fines by way of punishment.

Birmingham City Police struggles with ‘illegal’ street parties

As the government contemplates re-imposing coronavirus-related restrictions on Birmingham the city

Police officers reportedly raided a domestic “disco” in a “cramped flat” in Carlton (Nottinghamshire) on Sunday (February 14).

Describing the gathering as a “silent” disco (as the people involved had tried to avoid detection), local police reported that 20 partygoers had escaped from the scene before they could be arrested.

However, the host and party organizer was reportedly fined £800.

On the same evening (February 14), officers stormed into a flat in Sneinton (a village near Nottingham) where they found 18 partygoers, each of whom was fined £800.

Meanwhile, Greater Manchester Police raided a 40-person house party in Manchester in the early hours of Saturday (February 13).

It is not clear what level of fines (if any) were issued to the organizer and the participants.

In late January the government announced an £800 fine for anyone attending a house party in England involving more than 15 people.

These fines will double for each repeat offence to a maximum of £6,400.

However the latest raids – which local police forces readily admit are only the tip of the iceberg – are a clear demonstration that even stiff financial penalties are failing to deter young people from defying draconian lockdown rules.