Man who failed to self-isolate among 90 people fined for Covid breaches over the weekend

A budding photographer, guests at a gender reveal party and a man who failed to isolate with his Covid-positive wife are among 90 people who were fined by South Wales Police this weekend.

Despite the whole of Wales remaining under Alert Level 4 restrictions, the force received more than 442 reports of possible Covid breaches.

While many were well-intentioned but did not amount to breaches, officers were left with little option but to issue fines to a number of people.

Among them were:

• A man who travelled from Porthcawl to Cardiff to take pictures for a photography competition;
• A man who failed to self-isolate with his Covid-positive wife in Barry;
• Four men who travelled to Penarth Pier and were drinking alcohol in the street;
• 12 attendees to a house party in Roath;
• Four men who travelled in the same vehicle from various areas of Cardiff and the Vale to visit Cosmeston Country Park;
• Parents who drove to test out their daughters quad bike at fields in Bridgend, which also landed them with Section 59 warning in relation to use of the quad;
• A man who was found at a Cardiff property – 28 miles from his home address;
• Three people from different households found mixing at and address in Penarth;
• Eleven people who attended a garden party in Cardiff;
• Eight people who congregated in a garden shed in Sketty;
• Three people who attended a child’s birthday party in Penlan, Swansea;
• Nine people who gathered at a house for a gender reveal party in Townhill, Swansea;
• Four people who gathered to watch the football in Mount Pleasant, Swansea;
• Two people drinking alcohol in the street in Port Talbot;
• Four people found a party at an Aberavon flat.

South Wales Police is continuing to engage with our communities to encourage compliance Welsh Government coronavirus legislation, and our teams are carrying out regular proactive patrols to enforce the rules where needed.

This weekend alone, Gower Neighbourhood Policing Team conducted an operation at car parks in Langland, Bracelet Bay and Caswell, stopping 143 cars in just three hours, with the vast majority of people found to have travelled without reasonable excuse, resulting in further enforcement action. And in Penarth, officers implemented a road closure in order to disperse crowds and conduct checks.

Joint Enforcement Teams (JETs), made up of police officers and council staff, have also been established in each of the seven local authority areas and continue to target areas of high concern.

Chief Superintendent Andy Valentine said: “Alert Level 4 restrictions have been in place since before Christmas and the legislation is clear. Multiple households should not be mixing, be that indoors or outdoors, and people should only be leaving home for a limited number of reasons, such as shopping for essentials.

“While exercise is permitted and encouraged, Welsh Government has been clear that travelling to do so is not deemed reasonable, so to see dozens of cars at our beauty spot car parks again this weekend is frustrating and disappointing.

“Our officers were met with some serious breaches of the rules this weekend leading to fixed penalties being issued.

“I know that the restrictions are tough but we remain in the midst of an extremely serious health emergency and we all have a part to play in helping to slow the spread of coronavirus and help ease the pressure on our NHS.

“Those unwilling to act responsibility by flagrantly breaching the rules should expect to subject to enforcement action.”