Advertisement
UK markets closed
  • FTSE 100

    7,952.62
    +20.64 (+0.26%)
     
  • FTSE 250

    19,884.73
    +74.07 (+0.37%)
     
  • AIM

    743.26
    +1.15 (+0.15%)
     
  • GBP/EUR

    1.1713
    +0.0019 (+0.16%)
     
  • GBP/USD

    1.2623
    +0.0000 (+0.00%)
     
  • Bitcoin GBP

    56,102.80
    +1,089.03 (+1.98%)
     
  • CMC Crypto 200

    885.54
    0.00 (0.00%)
     
  • S&P 500

    5,254.35
    +5.86 (+0.11%)
     
  • DOW

    39,807.37
    +47.29 (+0.12%)
     
  • CRUDE OIL

    83.11
    -0.06 (-0.07%)
     
  • GOLD FUTURES

    2,254.80
    +16.40 (+0.73%)
     
  • NIKKEI 225

    40,383.16
    +215.09 (+0.54%)
     
  • HANG SENG

    16,541.42
    +148.58 (+0.91%)
     
  • DAX

    18,492.49
    +15.40 (+0.08%)
     
  • CAC 40

    8,205.81
    +1.00 (+0.01%)
     

Police force warns people they could be fined for breaching COVID rules if they play in the snow

 A young man playing soccer in the La Ca�ada Real neighbourhood during heavy snowfall. Spain registers historical low temperatures and snowfalls putting the community of Madrid on alert. In the south of Madrid, La Ca�ada Real, the community has been deprived of electricity for 3 months. (Photo by Diego Radames / SOPA Images/Sipa USA)
Police have warned people they could be fined for breaking coronavirus laws by playing in the snow. (Getty)

A police force has come under fire after threatening people with fines for breaching coronavirus lockdown laws if they’re caught playing in the snow.

Officers from West Mercia Police issued the warning after they received reports of people throwing snowballs on Thursday night.

The Broseley and Wenlock Safer Neighbourhood Team, in Shropshire, tweeted that snowball fights would likely be in violation of the government’s tough lockdown rules, which were introduced earlier this week.

They wrote: “This is obviously not a justifiable reason to be out of your house, this behaviour is likely to result in a £200 Fixed Penalty Notice for breaking the lockdown rules.”

The officers earlier said four fines had been issued to people in their area for flouting COVID rules.

ADVERTISEMENT

They added: “Four Fixed Penalty Notices were issued last night in Broseley for blatant breaches of the Coronavirus lockdown.

“These measures are in place to protect us all and to stop the NHS from being overwhelmed.”

The Broseley and Wenlock Safer Neighbourhood Team later tweeted that the snowballs were being thrown at the addresses of vulnerable elderly residents, adding: ”This behaviour is not acceptable at any time.”

They did not explain how such anti-social behaviour fell within the remit of coronavirus legislation.

The threat of such fines prompted anger from some social media users.

Watch: UK police arrest anti-lockdown protestors

Joanne Eley wrote: “So you're telling me I could be fined for playing in the snow - outdoors with people from my same household? That is beyond a joke.”

Andrea Waring said: “Antisocial behaviour like throwing snowballs at houses, yes. But if people are just out playing in the snow then I don't understand this”, while Davina Taylor added: “If you'd said 12 months ago police would be fining people for playing in the snow, you would have been laughed out of town."

Bev Henley added: “The country has gone mad”, while Stephanie Bolton added: "Stop the world I want to get off.”

And Megan Dorgan said: "If gangs of people are chucking snowballs then I understand but please use common sense West Mercia Police."

The move comes after two women claimed they were surrounded by police, read their rights and handed a £200 fine each after meeting up for a walk in Derbyshire five miles from home.

Watch: What you can and can't do during England's third national lockdown