A man has been fined after he was caught speeding on a motorway journey from London to Nottingham to buy bread.
The dad, who was in his car with his two young children, was caught driving at 110mph on the motorway despite Government orders to stay at home amid the coronavirus pandemic.
When questioned, he told police he had been to London to buy bread, implying it was an essential trip.
The man was stopped by officers at about 10:40pm on Sunday travelling to Nottingham northbound on the M1.
They said he had been in the car with his two young children and claimed bread in London was £1 cheaper.
Leicestershire Police said the man was handed two fixed penalty notices and reported to court for the speeding.
The distance between Nottingham and London is more than 120 miles.
The force said the man was stopped near Junction 22 in Leicestershire.
Police said the man was handed a notice for speeding and the courts would decide the level of the fine.
The second notice was under the Health Protection Regulations 2020, which comes with a £60 fine. It came into force last month to give police powers to punish anyone flouting lockdown restrictions.
Under new laws, police are now able to fine anyone outside their home without good reason, with penalties starting at £60 but rising to a maximum of £960 for repeat offenders.
The authorities can arrest anyone who refuse to comply.
Anyone who does not pay the penalty, which can be reduced to £30 if paid within 14 days, will be dragged before the courts, which have the power to issue an unlimited fine.
Failure to give your name and address to a police officer will be an arrestable offence under the new powers.
The new powers also list the reasons people can leave their home without fear of being fined.
They include:
- Obtaining basic necessities, including food, pet supplies and medical supplies. Also includes supplies for the essential upkeep and maintenance of the household.
- To take exercise
- To seek medical assistance
- To provide care or assistance to a vulnerable person
- To donate blood
- To travel for work or to provide voluntary or charitable services, if it's not reasonably possible to work from home
- To attend a funeral of a member of the person's household or a close family member - or a friend if they do not have anyone in their household or family who can attend
- To attend court or satisfy bail conditions or participate in legal proceedings
Announcing the enforcement powers, Home Secretary Priti Patel said: "The Prime Minister has been clear on what we need to do: stay at home to protect our NHS and save lives."
What are the latest limits on public movement?
Government guidelines state you can only leave your house for the following reasons:
- Shopping for basics as infrequently as possible
- Exercise, such as running, walking or cycling, once a day - alone or with those you live with
- Travelling to or from work where it is impossible to work from home
- To care for a vulnerable person or to attend an urgent medical appointment.
The Prime Minister has also introduced a ban on:
- Meeting with friends
- Meeting with family members you do not live with
- All weddings, baptisms and other ceremonies excluding funerals
- All gatherings of more than two people in public.
