Police fine 20 'selfish, thoughtless' partygoers for breaking Covid rules after officers raid bash in London restaurant basement
Twenty partygoers were fined £200 each after an illegal lockdown party they were attending in a London restaurant basement was shut down by police.
Police raided the bash in Haverstock Hill, northwest London around 8.30pm on December 27 after receiving reports of multiple people entering the venue.
A video of the raid, taken from police bodycam footage, shows officers descending into the basement to discover the revellers gathered inside.
A party of twenty revellers in a restaurant basement was shut down after a police raid in Haverstock Hill, northwest London on December 27
The clip shows tables covered with bottles of beer and other drinks such as red bull while police take details from the people attending.
Officers found ten men and ten woman attending the bash and all attendees were issued a Fixed Penalty Notice of £200 for breaching tier 4 restrictions.
The Metropolitan Police slammed the partygoers as 'selfish' and 'thoughtless' for breaking Covid rules as case numbers rise.
Police bodycam footage from the raid shows officers descending into the basement to discover the partygoers gathered inside with tables covered with bottles of beer
Inspector Alex Hope-Rollinson said: 'To date, over 70,000 people in the UK have been lost to coronavirus.
'Breaches of coronavirus regulations such as these are selfish, thoughtless and ultimately put the safety and health of our community at serious risk.
'I implore individuals to make themselves familiar with the Tier 4 rules and absolutely avoid attending any gatherings which are in breach of those rule – it is vital that we work together to avoid overwhelming our NHS in the coming months.'
Officers found ten men and ten woman attending the bash and all attendees were issued a Fixed Penalty Notice of £200 for breaching tier 4 restrictions
It comes as police handed out hundreds of fines and broke up illegal raves across the country as people defied lockdown rules to celebrate the end of 2020.
A woman who organised a house party attended by 100 people in Sewardstonebury, Essex, that involved a fire dancer and an entertainer, was fined £10,000.
The maximum fine for breaking coronavirus restrictions is £10,000 for the most egregious breaches.