Moment 19 revellers try to flee lockdown party in Portsmouth without being fined

Stephanie Cockroft18 February 2021
WEST END FINAL

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This is the moment revellers pushed and shoved one another as they attempted to flee from a lockdown party without being fined.

Officers from Hampshire police attended a property in Portsmouth on January 30 after receiving a report of the gathering, which was held despite Covid restrictions.

A force spokesman said 19 people were reported for summons for £800 fixed penalty notices for breaches of Covid-19 regulations.

The video shows people attempting to force their way out of the property while an officer tells them: “Everyone’s going to be leaving one at a time so we can process you guys and get your details.”

Assistant Chief Constable Maggie Blyth said: “This party is not a one-off, we’re increasingly seeing reports of gatherings of people from multiple households as some members of the public are struggling to observe the national restrictions in place.

“Not all these gatherings are of this size, but they are all breaching the current Health Protection Regulations and putting lives at risk.

“The message is simple, stay at home.

“We’re releasing this video to demonstrate just how serious incidents like this are.

“The transmission vectors available for the virus in circumstances like this are numerous.

“The people attending this party were putting themselves and their loved ones at risk from Covid-19, not to mention the wider community. It’s actions like this that place increased and unnecessary pressure on the NHS.”

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