Those who fail to observe social distancing rules now face arrest, the government has said.
People in the UK have been ordered to stay in their homes except for essential work, caring or food shopping, or one period of daily exercise, in a bid to slow the spread of Covid-19.
But over recent days officials have reported many examples of people seemingly ignoring the new rules, leading to crowds in some areas and a failure to observe the recommended 2m distance from other people.
In the North East, country parks and car parks in popular parts of Northumberland have now been closed, and users of Newcastle's Town Moor have been issued with a stern warning, in response to people flouting the rules.
Now, police officers can order people to go home, leave or disperse an area and ensure parents are taking necessary steps to stop their children breaking the law.
Those who refuse to comply could be issued with a fixed penalty notice of £60, which will be lowered to £30 if paid within 14 days
Second-time offenders could be issued a fixed penalty notice of £120, doubling on each further repeat offence.
Those who do not pay the penalty can be taken to court, with magistrates able to impose unlimited fines.
Announcing the new 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.
“All our frontline services really are the best of us and are doing an incredible job to stop this terrible virus from spreading.
“That’s why I’m giving the police these new enforcement powers, to protect the public and keep people safe.”
