Cops grill Hackney barbecue group over breach of Covid lockdown rules

Police officers issued Covid fines to a group of people they found having a barbecue in the street in east London.

Officers were on patrol in Barnabas Street in Hackney at around 10.30pm last night when they came across the outdoor party.

A Met Police spokesman said: “The officers engaged with the group and explained that what they were doing was a breach of Covid regulations. Two people were reported for consideration of a fixed penalty notice to the value of £200. ”

It comes as officers around the capital have reported issuing fines at events from baby showers to raves to weddings.

Only yesterday the Met announced 31 of its own officers were facing £200 fixed penalty notices after breaching Covid-19 regulations while on duty by having  their hair cut by a professional barber at Bethnal Green police station.