Coronavirus: Bikers fined for 200-mile fish and chips trip

The two bikers had travelled from Rochdale to Whitby to buy fish and chips

Two bikers who went on a 200-mile round trip to buy fish and chips have been fined for breaching coronavirus lockdown restrictions.

The pair had travelled from Rochdale in Greater Manchester to Whitby in North Yorkshire before being stopped, fined and sent home by police.

Whitby Neighbourhood Policing Team said the trip was not "reasonable travel".

North Yorkshire Police has previously said people were breaking lockdown rules to travel to the area.

Posting on Facebook, the force said: "Whilst Whitby would usually welcome visitors to sample our finest fish and chips, due to the current climate this does not constitute reasonable travel.

"Whitby Neighbourhood Policing Team were patrolling the A169 and stopped two motorcyclists who had travelled from Rochdale purely for fish and chips.

"Both were sent home and issued fines."

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The same force said on Monday that people were "blatantly ignoring" lockdown rules by visiting local beauty spots.

A force spokesman said: "This weekend [2/3 May] proved to be another busy weekend for police in North Yorkshire, with the force seeing no dip in visitors to the area or the number of fines issued."

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The force added: "Sixty-one fines were issued across Saturday and Sunday, with Malham again proving to be a "hot-spot" for out-of-area day-trippers, with 12 of the 61 fines issued being in the vicinity."

Day-trippers to the Yorkshire Dales accounted for the majority of fines.

Malham Cove is a popular beauty spot in the Yorkshire Dales National Park