More than 100 police stand by and let over 100 'travellers' drink and flout Covid rules at funeral wake for three hours before finally dishing out 42 fines - as Priti Patel warns rule breakers 'can't be chillin'' in new Home Office ad
Police have been accused of failing to stop more than 100 'travellers' who broke lockdown rules to 'attend a wake' on a static caravan site.
Onlookers said 100 police swooped on the scene at Clyde Road, Seven Sisters, London, in 15 vans last night.
But locals claim little was done to break up the celebration, which was attended by around 70 people and went on until around 2am.
Police confirmed this evening they had handed fines to 42 attendees - and arrested one person on suspicion of an unrelated theft.
Scotland Yard also claim that their officers tried to break up the wake but were met with aggression from the alcohol-drinking crowd.
This comes as the Home Office issued a video warning Covid rule breakers they 'can't be chillin' and police forces up and down the country hand out hundreds of fines a day.
Onlookers said 100 police rushed to the scene in a residential street in Seven Sisters, London, last night, arriving in around 15 vans
Photos show masked police officers lined up outside of the gates, where the celebration was being held, as one officer spoke with gatherers through the metal bars
Officers were called to Star Nails in Stockwell Head, Hinkley, Leicestershire, where they found women being pampered
Police approached a woman sat on a park bench and asked her to move as they patrolled Hyde Park today
Police patrol Hyde Park in central London this morning - as the Met urges people to stick to the rules
Parties, car meets and snowball fights as people ignore the rules
Southwark house party: On Wednesday night, Met officers broke up a party at an industrial unit in Southwark, south London, where they found at least 20 revellers on top of the building. Local residents cheered when police arrived.
Two people were arrested, one on suspicion of carrying an offensive weapon, the other for suspected drug dealing. Five people were handed fines for breaching Covid restrictions
Hertfordshire party: An illegal house party attended by up to 100 people in South Mimms, Hertfordshire, was also broken up by police.
Police seized alcohol and music equipment from the organiser. One officer was hurt while trying to disperse the crowd and one person was arrested. At least 12 people were handed fines
Brent car meet: And over the last week, the Met responded to a bar which was still open and serving customers. In Brent, 14 people attended a car meet, intentionally breaking the rules and potentially spreading the virus.
In both of these cases, fixed penalty notices were issued by officers
Leeds snowball fight: Around 200 youngsters took part in a snowball fight in Hyde Park, Leeds, on Thursday
Oxfordshire leisure drive: Three friends from Oxfordshire who drove 21 miles to visit Cotswolds have been fined £200 each
Devon surfing: Devon police have slammed a group who travelled from London to Woolacombe on Thursday in a camper van to go surfing
Nottinghamshire lock-in: Pub owners, staff and four customers have been fined after the venue was found serving alcohol inside
The Metropolitan Police tonight said in a statement: 'More than 100 people had come together to mourn the loss of a member of the traveller community.
'Some of those attending were consuming alcohol and became aggressive towards police when advised that they were breaching coronavirus regulations and needed to disperse.'
They also said officer patrols in the area would be stepped up.
Acting Chief Inspector Steve Connolly said: 'Covid-19 legislation does not allow for gatherings of this type to take place.
'Although 30 people are allowed to attend a funeral, related gatherings such as these fall outside of what it legally permitted.
'Although we know that the community has suffered a loss, we also know that large meetings of people from different households are behind the rapid spread of the virus through London.'
In the past week, revellers have been caught enjoying house parties, a pub lock-in, an evening at a shisha bar, and snowball fights.
People have also been fined for travelling across the country to go surfing and for being pampered in a nail bar.
One force said it was issuing 'so many fines at the minute to people who just don't seem to care,' adding, 'Is having your nails done really that important?'.
Staggering footage released today captured the moment officers found 29 people enjoying an evening in a shisha bar.
The Metropolitan Police bodycam video shows officers bust open the bar, which was operating out of a unit on an industrial estate in Southall, west London.
Scotland Yard said: 'Officers were called to the unit following concern from members of the public and after arriving on scene, found 29 people inside, one of whom tried to run out of the unit as police entered.
'The gathering was not only a potential breeding ground for the virus, but the poor management of the shisha pipes inside presented a fire hazard.
'The owner of the property has been reported for consideration of a fixed penalty notice, police continue to monitor the area for additional breaches.'
The Met has now issued a warning to people to abide by lockdown rules over the weekend or face hefty fines.
The force said officers would be 'responding swiftly to reckless breaches' such as house parties, unlicensed music events or other dangerous gatherings.
When the restrictions were first announced, the Metropolitan Police dished out 4.5 fines a day on average between March 27 and April 13.
In comparison, more than 300 people a day are now getting fixed penalty notices, with almost 4,000 penalties handed out so far in London.
In Leicestershire meanwhile, two women have been fined £200 each for flouting lockdown rules after they were caught getting nail treatments at a beauty salon.
Officers were called to Star Nails in Stockwell Head, Hinkley, where they found two customers inside being pampered by staff.
Three friends from Oxfordshire who drove 21 miles to visit the Cotswold town of Stow on the Wold in breach of lockdown have also been fined £200 each by police.
Cotswolds Police tweeted last night: 'Officers stated that they had no reasonable excuse to be in a car together so far from home.'
The incident comes after more than 50 tourists were spoken to by police in the North Cotswolds on Sunday and many were told to go home.
In Nottinghamshire, pub owners, staff and four customers have been fined after the venue was found serving alcohol inside.
Locals said very little was done to break up the celebration, which was attended by around 70 people in Seven Sisters last night
Video footage from the scene shows swarms of people in the street talking to police officers in raised voices as they disperse from their gathering
Staggering footage released today captured the moment officers found 29 people enjoying an evening in a shisha bar in London
The car park at National Trust site Selsley Common in Stroud, Gloucestershire, was packed today
Walkers gathered on Primrose Hill in North London this afternoon
Officers asked a woman to move on as she sat on a bench in London this morning
Police visited The Plough Inn in Cropwell Butler on January 13 to find four people sat around a table drinking and watching television with a member of staff.
Environmental Health and licensing officers have now served its owners a fixed penalty notice of £1,000 and police have issued £200 fines to all customers and the three owners and staff present at the time of the breach.
The business has been closed and also received a prohibition notice ensuring it cannot allow individuals to enter the premises to consume food or drink.
Devon police, meanwhile, have slammed a group who travelled from London to Woolacombe on Thursday in a camper van to go surfing.
A police spokesman said today: 'Beggar's belief - despite all the messaging-a campervan load travelled down from London last night as they fancied a surf.
'Tickets given and turned back. Vast majority are following the guidance - to the minority blatantly breaching - we are out and about.'
Locals were furious at the lockdown flouters for putting them in danger.
One resident said on social media: 'Don't fine them - no point - take their license away or impound their vehicle.'
Another added: 'And there's me worried about driving to Woolacombe from Ilfracombe...makes my blood boil.'
Another said: 'Thank you police for being so vigilant and turning back these utter morons.
'It is the minority that are blatantly defying the Government guidelines and keeping the lockdowns and this virus going.'
Two women caught getting their nails done at a beauty salon are fined £200 each for flouting lockdown rules
Officers were called to Star Nails in Stockwell Head, Hinkley, Leicestershire, where they found women being pampered
Two women have been fined £200 each for flouting lockdown rules after they were caught getting nail treatments at a beauty salon.
Officers were called to Star Nails in Stockwell Head, Hinkley, Leicestershire, after being alerted by CCTV operators last Saturday.
They discovered two customers inside being pampered by staff and promptly issued them with fixed penalty notices for breaching Covid laws.
Leicestershire Police said the salon worker who was attending to the two women was also slapped with a £200 fine.
Hinckley Police wrote on Facebook: 'We are issuing so many fines at the minute to people who just don't seem to care! Over 1,500 more deaths today. Is having your nails done really that important?'
A total of £57,800 penalty notices were dished out across their force area between last Friday and Sunday.
Earlier this week, police released video footage shaming those who were caught breaking the regulations.
They included a group of boy racers who gathered for a car meet in Castle Donington and a house party of more than 30 people in Leicester city centre.
Another person had travelled over 110 miles from York to Leicester, via Birmingham, just to visit a mate.
Police were also called to an address in Stretton where six men from different households claimed they were having a business meeting over beer and food.
Three people caught in the same car together told police they were 'just chilling' after work and pleaded 'it's only been for five minutes.'
Scotland Yard Deputy Commissioner Sir Steve House said officers were 'accelerating more quickly' to enforcement rather than listening to excuses from Covid rule breakers this time around.
'We have seen a significant increase in the amount of fixed penalty notices that were issued,' he said.
'The number is increasing quite rapidly day on day. I wish it weren't so. I wish everybody was abiding by the regulations.'
Between March 27 and December 20, the force handed out 1,761 penalties for breaking the rules, including for being outside home without a reasonable excuse, not wearing a mask or organising a mass gathering.
Home Secretary Priti Patel has told police they can question people if they find them sitting on park benches.
Met Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick has ordered officers to take a more hardline approach during this lockdown, saying it is 'preposterous' to suggest that the public would be unaware of the need to follow the rules.
Yesterday her deputy said it was clear the public were not taking the rules as seriously this time around and the police had been asked by the Government to step up enforcement.
Others were seen on skis and snowboards as snow settled in West Yorkshire on Thursday
Sir Steve described his frustration at anti-lockdown protests, citing a demonstration in Clapham, south London, last week where protesters were heckled by the public.
'As they were walking down Clapham High Street members of the public who were legitimately out started shouting at them and telling them they were a bunch of idiots,' he said. 'I wouldn't necessarily disagree with that view.'
He also told the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee that his officers urgently needed vaccines and the force were happy to vaccinate their own officers and staff.
Around 1,700 Metropolitan Police staff are off sick or self-isolating.