Covid: Police cancel fine for couple visiting care home

Decima Minhinnick, pictured at her 90th birthday party, lives in a care home and has vascular dementia

A couple who were fined £60 for driving 20 minutes to see a relative in a care home have had their fine cancelled by police.

Carol and David Richards from Bridgend travelled seven miles to Porthcawl to visit her mother Decima Minhinnick, 94.

On Tuesday, police defended the fine, claiming the couple had broken lockdown rules.

On Wednesday, South Wales Police said it had "since been reviewed and the notice has been rescinded".

"The individual concerned has been notified".

In a statement, it added: "Wales remains at alert level four and South Wales Police will continue to patrol our communities to ensure the legislation, which has been enacted to slow the spread of coronavirus, is complied with".

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Mrs Richards has said she was "mortified" they were stopped by police while returning on Sunday from what she said was a compassionate visit.

She said on Tuesday she did not believe they breached lockdown rules.

Mrs Richards said the couple had arranged the visit to Picton Court Care Home in advance with the permission of staff, and spoke to her mother, who has vascular dementia, through the window of her ground-floor room from the car park.

David and Carol Richards complained about the £60 fine

She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that when she was issued with the fine it was like "a sort of dystopian novel", adding that the officer involved was "pedantic and inflexible".

"I was angry - she just would not listen to any protestations, and so she said 'you're going to be issued with a £60 fixed penalty fine'.

"It's not about the 60 quid, it's about the principle."

The home is just over seven miles from where the couple live