12 footballers given Covid fines after claiming they lived together on South Tyneside pub visit

Northumbria Police officers issued the fines to the members of the team following their claim made during a visit to the bar on Sunday night – however, the force has not identified the venue or the club the men play for.

The team had been in the bar when a concerned staff member challenged them, only to be told by the group that they were from the same household.

Unconvinced, they called police to report the breach and when officers attended the men were all subsequently issued with fines.

The penalty is £200 but will be reduced to £100 if it is paid within 14 days.

Chief Superintendent Janice Hutton said: “This group showed a flagrant disregard for the rules which are in place to help prevent the spread of coronavirus.

“Actions like this undermine the efforts being made by the majority of others in order to protect themselves, their family, friends and wider communities.

“We will continue to work closely with our communities and offer advice to people who have mistakenly broken the restrictions.

“However, as we have made clear, where individuals are choosing to ignore the measures in place, we are committed to taking enforcement action to protect our communities.

“It’s important we all continue to play our part and follow the restrictions.”

Under the tier 2 ‘high’ restrictions, people in the North East are not allowed to mix inside with people from other households, unless they are in a bubble.

However, it is allowed for up to six people to meet outside, including in beer gardens.

On the same evening, Northumbria Police issued £200 fines to drinkers in the outside seating area of the Sand Dancer after they said they had breached the rules.

However, the penalties were scrapped when the error came to light, with an apology issued to all those involved.

The force has said people should check out their council website to check the latest restrictions.

For more information about Covid-19 and the latest restrictions, please visit your local authority’s website.

Details about the rules covering South Tyneside, as well as information about testing locations, can be found via https://www.southtyneside.gov.uk/article/69129/Coronavirus-COVID-19-.

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