Two people - including high school worker - fined £1,000 for ignoring lockdown quarantine rules after holiday

Two people who work in Bolton have been handed £1,000 fines for ignoring quarantine rules after trips abroad.

One woman, in her 20s, returned to her job at a high school in the coronavirus hotspot despite flying home from a trip to Amsterdam two days before.

Police paid a visit to her home in Darwen to hand her a fine for failing to observe the mandatory 14-day self-isolation period.

Officers also fined a man from Horwich who came home from a visit to Spain on Sunday, September 20, and was also told to quarantine.

Instead, the man, in his 40s, went straight back to work at a business in the area.

Bolton's Chief Inspector, Nicola Williams, slammed the actions of the two rule-breakers, saying people who 'recklessly flout' self-isolation restrictions are risking infecting others.

“I hope these fines send out a clear message to those who wrongly believe they are exempt from this rule that we will enforce this wherever we find there to be breaches," she said.

“This is an immensely challenging time for all of us - whether it's the impact these restrictions are having on our personal lives, or on our working lives.

"However, it is absolutely vital that the town comes together and does what it can to curb what is a worrying rate of transmission in the area, and we have been working tirelessly at GMP and alongside the council to ensure that we too are doing all we can.

Anyone with symptoms in Bolton is being sent to get tested as soon as possible (Getty Images)

“This includes those who recklessly flout quarantining rules when coming back from abroad and who run the risk of infected others; especially when they are working or socialising with groups of people and putting them at risk.

"We are still working by the principles of engaging, explaining and encouraging before opting for the last resort of enforcing, but there is no tolerance for those who are blatantly ignoring the rules that the rest of us are doing our best to abide by on a daily basis."

People that are required to self-isolate after travelling home from abroad may be contacted by Public Health England (PHE) to check they are following the regulations.

If there is no response after a number of attempts of trying to make contact, the details of the individual will be referred to the police by Border Force.

Members of the public can also call police if they suspect someone is failing to follow the quarantine rules.

Reports of COVID breaches can be made online here.