Police blow full-time on Walsall Wood FC lock-in

Police say the owner has been issued with a £1,000 fine

Eighteen fines have been issued at a football club where police say revellers have flouted lockdown restrictions since April.

Officers used an angle grinder to gain entry to Walsall Wood FC on Saturday as patrons "continued to defiantly party".

The West Midlands force believed the club "attempted to outsmart" officers during previous visits by turning off music and closing its shutters.

The venue's licence is now under review and the owner has been fined £1,000.

Seventeen people found inside the club on Lichfield Road, Walsall Wood, on Saturday night were also handed £200 fixed-penalty notices.

Police officers used an angle grinder to gain entry

There had been several reports since April that the club was not complying with Covid-19 restrictions.

Police said during investigations they also found the club's CCTV had been deleted.

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On Saturday, the club chairman was approached to help officers access the venue, but according to the force, he denied having keys, leaving officers with no alternative but to gain entry with machinery.

"While attempting to cut through various padlocks the people inside started chanting, they switched the lights and music back on and continued to defiantly party," a police spokesperson said.

Walsall is currently in tier three, meaning hospitality venues are not allowed to open

Ch Insp Rod Rose said the gathering "was a blatant breach of the current tier three restrictions in place in Walsall".

He added: "We believe the club have been flouting the rules throughout the pandemic and have attempted to outsmart us when we've previously attended.

"While they may think it's harmless fun, their actions were reckless and are endangering lives."