Every £10,000 Covid fine issued in Northamptonshire to date is being fought in court

Organisers behind mass gatherings in Northamptonshire are appealing in court that they don't deserve their £10,000 lockdown fine.

A press conference heard today (March 12) how every 10 grand fined issued in Northamptonshire to date for mass gatherings in breach of Covid restrictions is being fought in court.

In Northamptonshire, at least 14 such 'super fines' have been dished out, with up to a dozen more still being investigated by officers or confirmed by this newspaper.

They include a house party held on Forfar Street in December that was broken up by police. Another was a funeral held at Dallington Cemetery in February that was attended by "at least 60 people".

It comes as police are also pursuing the organisers behind a gathering of 200 football fans at Abington Fields in Corby on March 7 following the Rangers' title win.

Anyone issued with a £10,000 lockdown are in their rights to contest it at court.

At a Covid-19 press conference today, Northamptonshire Police assistant chief constable Simon Blatchly said he did not have the figures to show how many have been paid so fair.

He said: "All the £10,000 fines that we've issued have all been appealed and those will work through the court process now.

"With the backlog of the justice system, which of course is happening nationally, that will have an impact on when they are dealt with."

Nationally, critics have called the £10,000 powers "draconian" and "impossible to pay" in the current economic climate.

A statement by the National Police Chiefs Council about the fines reads: "

“Large gatherings should not be happening in the current circumstances and the regulations in place for everyone’s safety are absolutely clear on that.

“Those who organise large gatherings know they are breaking the law and putting others at risk.

“Officers will only issue a fine as a last resort, but will not waste time with endless encouragement where there is a clear and egregious breach of the rules, such as for these large gatherings.”