Police have revealed how many Bristolians have been hit with fines for breaking coronavirus lockdown rules.
The nation has been on lockdown for two weeks now following the outbreak of Covid-19, which has contributed to nearly 3,000 deaths in the UK.
People have been urged to stay inside, other than for grocery shopping, exercise and other essential trips, in a bid to prevent further deaths and unnecessary pressure on the NHS.
However, some people have been caught ignoring the rules, forcing Avon and Somerset Constabulary to hand out 42 fixed penalty notices as of today (April 3).
A spokesman for the force confirmed 29 of these fines were in Bristol.
It is up from Monday when the force had given out 15 enforcement notices, including 12 in Bristol.
Police previously said examples of rule-breaking included 'people in groups of more than two who are not from same household, people sat outside together and eating takeaways, and groups of people in cars not from same household'.
New powers give police officers the ability to instruct people to go home or disperse and ensure parents are taking necessary steps to stop their children from breaking the rules.
If people continue to ignore officers’ instructions, they will be hit with a fixed penalty of £60, which reduces to £30 if paid within 14 days.
Repeat offenders will see their penalties double each time they are caught, and if they continue to refuse to comply police are able to arrest if deemed necessary.
Rule-breakers who refuse to pay a fine will face the possibility of an unlimited fine from magistrates.
