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Group of 31 police officers who got haircuts on duty all face £200 lockdown fines

Will Taylor
·News Reporter
Updated ·2-min read
A view of the New Scotland Yard office, the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service and the Police Community Support Officers. On Thursday, 23 January 2019, in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Thirty-one officers have been issued a fixed penalty notice. (NurPhoto via Getty Images)

A group of 31 police officers are to be fined £200 each after being accused of breaching coronavirus regulations by having their hair cut professionally.

The Metropolitan Police said it was tipped off that a number of officers had a trim on 17 January, despite England’s lockdown rules, at Bethnal Green police station in East London.

After an investigation, Scotland Yard said 31 would be issued a fixed penalty notice while two officers alleged to have organised the cuts are under investigation for misconduct.

Detective Chief Superintendent Marcus Barnett said: “It is deeply disappointing and frustrating that my officers have fallen short of the expectation to uphold COVID-19 regulations.

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“Although officers donated money to charity as part of the haircut, this does not excuse them from what was a very poor decision. I expect a lot more of them.

“It is right therefore, officers should each face a £200 fine, as well as misconduct action for those two who organised this event.”

England’s coronavirus restrictions explicitly state that personal care services, including hairdressers, must shut and should not be provided in people’s homes.

“Quite rightly, the public expect police to be role models in following the regulations which are designed to prevent the spread of this deadly virus,” DCS Barnett said.

“I hope this action proves that police are not immune to enforcement of the rules, and we are prepared as an organisation to take action if we see officers have behaved irresponsibly.”

It comes a week after the Met announced nine officers would be fined £200 each for eating in a cafe while on duty, despite the COVID regulations.

They were pictured eating in uniform together in photos posted online earlier in January.

Police have pledged to move to enforcing coronavirus regulations quicker, with the Met handing out £15,000 in fines over the weekend and pledging to no longer reason with those who fail to wear a mask without a reasonable excuse.

Watch: England’s lockdown rules