Covid-19: Football team fined for South Tyneside pub visit

The 12 men were part of a football team although police are not saying which one

Twelve members of a football team who visited a pub, claiming they were from the same household, have been fined.

Northumbria Police said the men, who it has not named, were reported to officers by a "concerned" and "unconvinced" pub worker on Sunday.

Officers said the group showed a "flagrant disregard" for the rules. One of the men denied they had claimed to live in the same house.

Tier 2 restrictions ban households in South Tyneside mixing indoors.

The group were drinking in Wetherspoon pub The Wouldhave in South Shields, on Sunday night.

When a staff member saw they were wearing football kits under their jackets and challenged them, the men claimed to all be from the same household, police said.

"Unconvinced, they called police to report the breach and when officers attended the men were all subsequently issued with fines," a force spokesman said.

The men were fined £200 each, which will be halved if paid within 14 days.

One of the men, Josh Robertson, said they had not been asked if they lived in the same house.

"Why would 12 lads say we lived in the same house?" he said.

"They never warned us or anything."

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Wetherspoon's said the players sat at four tables and ordered food and drinks using the pub chain's app.

Spokesman Eddie Gershon said: "When the drinks were brought to the tables a member of staff noticed that members of the group all had the same football shirt on (having taken off their jackets) and asked if they were from the same household.

"They said they were, but the member of staff didn't believe them and told them that the police would be called and if the police came they would be fined.

"The members of the group chose to stay. The police then came and dealt with the matter."

Ch Supt Janice Hutton said: "This group showed a flagrant disregard for the rules which are in place to help prevent the spread of coronavirus."