Derby students fined £10k for Covid breach parties

Officers said they were called to reports of loud music from a flat in the Wardwick in Derby

Two students have been fined £10,000 each for holding parties in breach of Covid-19 regulations.

Derbyshire Police were called to reports of loud music from a flat in the Wardwick in Derby on 6 December and found up to 70 people inside.

The party organiser, a 19-year-old University of Derby student, was fined.

A fellow student, 20, was fined after officers were called to his flat in Gower Street on 13 December and found more than 30 people.

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The city and county is in tier three of coronavirus restrictions, which include a ban on households mixing indoors.

Additionally, police said they broke up an alleged rave in an old quarry off Snitterton Road, Matlock, Derbyshire, in the early hours of 13 December, seizing music equipment.

Police said the £10,000 fines were the first they had issued as a force under coronavirus regulations.

'Extremely disappointed'

Det Ch Insp Emlyn Richards said: "I was really disappointed when the county saw its first £10,000 Covid fine handed out, but to be followed by another a week later is very disheartening.

"However, if these fines do anything I hope they act as a real warning to anyone who thinks about hosting a party of any kind.

"Officers will always try and engage, educate and encourage people around the regulations - but where we find serious breaches such as this we will not hesitate to enforce the maximum possible fines."

The University of Derby said it was "extremely disappointed" at the students' behaviour and was looking into potential disciplinary action.