Coronavirus: Nottingham house party host fined £10k

Police said the man who hosted the party in Harlaxton Drive "deliberately flouted" the rules

A man has been fined £10,000 for hosting a large house party in Nottingham.

The 19-year-old was issued with the fixed penalty notice after he allowed more than 50 people into his home on Harlaxton Drive, in Lenton, on Friday.

Nottinghamshire Police said it used its full powers to deal with the "reckless" organiser who "deliberately flouted" the rules after an initial warning.

The new "rule of six" coronavirus restrictions come into force on Monday.

The tighter laws limit gatherings to six people indoors and outdoors in England.

People have been warned not to treat this weekend as a "party" after one scientist warned the UK was "on the edge of losing control" of the virus.

Nottinghamshire Police said officers attended the house party after Nottingham City Council officers were met with "hostility from the organiser" at 22:20 BST.

About 50 people were found at the address, who were all ordered to leave, and the host was issued with the fine, it added.

Assistant Chief Constable Steve Cooper said: "This party was a clear example of a householder who deliberately flouted the rules without a care for anyone else and as a result we have used the full powers we have to deal with this.

"Under current rules we can issue fines to anyone hosting gatherings of more than 30 people which can result in fines of up to £10,000. And now we are on the eve of rules becoming even tighter so there can be gatherings of no more than six."

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