Home Secretary Priti Patel has said officers “will not hesitate” to enforce lockdown rules as she defended the way police have handled breaches.
Ms Patel said the rising number of coronavirus cases and deaths illustrated the need for “strong enforcement”.
The news comes after the National Police Chiefs’ Council published guidance saying officers should issue fines more quickly when rules are broken.
So far, over 30,000 fines have been issued by forces in England and Wales alone.
NPCC figures show 32,329 fixed penalty notices were issued between 27 March and 21 December last year.
NPCC guidance, published on 6 January, says officers should still offer people “encouragement” to comply with the regulations and explain any changes.
“However, if the individual or group does not respond appropriately, then enforcement can follow without repeated attempts to encourage people to comply with the law,” the NPCC said.
Ms Patel said: “The vast majority of the public have supported this huge national effort and followed the rules,
“But the tragic number of new cases and deaths this week shows there is still a need for strong enforcement where people are clearly breaking these rules to ensure we safeguard our country’s recovery from this deadly virus.
“Enforcing these rules saves lives. It is as simple as that. Officers will continue to engage with the public across the country and will not hesitate to take action when necessary.”
Health Secretary Matt Hancock claimed “every flex can be fatal” and said the rules “are not there as boundaries to be pushed, they’re the limit of what people should be doing”.
John Apter, chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said officers were under “immense pressure to do the right thing” and said with “such a changing landscape politically and legally” there were going to be things which did not go right.
“It’s not easy because all we are trying to do in policing is keep as many people safe as possible,” he said.
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Editor-in-Chief | Carl D. Pearson has been involved in British politics and media from an early age, with the key knowledge of what it takes to run a news organisation for the 21st century. Mr Pearson, as Editor-in-chief, is responsible for supervising the daily tasks of publishing media and content to UNN’s website and various platforms.
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