Police have handed a £1,000 fine to a farm owner who breached COVID-19 restrictions by serving alcohol to customers.
Police were called to a farm, in Mudgley near Wedmore, Somerset, in the UK on Saturday, January 30th.
A spokesperson for Avon and Somerset Police said officers found several customers inside who had been served cider by a member of staff.
“People inside the premises were seen congregated around tables, not socially distancing or wearing face masks.”
The business owner told police he was providing customers with samples of cider, which “amounts to a breach of the COVID-19 restrictions”. Police said they have made Sedgemoor District Council’s licensing team aware of the incident.
Covid-19 fine
Acting Sergeant Matthew Shaqer said: “The COVID-19 regulations are clear that alcohol cannot be served to customers for on-site consumption at this current time. Several people could be seen sitting at tables with a glass of cider in a clear breach of the law.”
“It was shocking to walk into the premises and find so many people there. Any one of them could have had the virus but been asymptomatic and spread the virus to a number of other households.
“We will continue to engage with the public, explain the rules and encourage them to comply, but with deliberate flagrant breaches of the legislation people can expect to be fined.
“We appreciate the vast majority of people are however complying with the rules and are making sacrifices to their daily lives to limit the spread of COVID-19 and we thank them for doing so.”
Suspected poachers fined
Meanwhile, in North Yorkshire, police handed Covid-19 penalty notices to suspected poachers, as reported by That’s Farming here.
Officers responded to a report that a blue Subaru Impreza was involved in poaching activity in the rural Bedale area at about 10am on Sunday, January 24th, 2021.
In a statement, a spokesperson, said: “North Yorkshire Police officers attended immediately, and – thanks to information provided by the caller – were able to locate and stop a car a short time later, in Catterick Garrison. Inside were three men and a number of lurcher dogs.”
The men told police they had come from County Durham to North Yorkshire to buy a dog at a service station.
All three suspected poachers were reported for breaching COVID-19 regulations. Polce issued a dispersal order, requiring them to leave the Hambleton and Richmondshire areas immediately.
Officers followed them to the border to ensure they did so, according to the statement.
