Camelon gym owner's CCTV footage of police visit after claims of lockdown breach

Jamie George published CCTV footage of the latest in a series of visits from officers to his closed Muscle Hut premises.

The businessman was forced to shut the property in line with Scottish Government coronavirus restrictions.

But, he says officers have regularly been called out in connection with rule-flouting false alarms.

In the most recent incident, police were seen checking the door of the gym.

A post on the Muscle Hut Facebook page read: “Nobody is home @policescotlandofficial, constantly checking on us every few days.

“We are closed and both doors are closed and our back door is never open. Work is clearly being done with the large rubbish pile seen in the video.

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“We will continue to comply with the rules.”

Mr George, who opened the gym on August 31, 2020, feels the extra traffic and “noise” it has brought to the area could explain the calls made to police.

He said: “We just feel a bit harassed. It’s a constant flow.

“I was at the premises an hour before they came on Tuesday. I was dropping off a new piece of equipment and left it in the hallway.

“Whoever keeps phoning them saw my car there. It happens every two or three days.

“That street used to be quiet, and I brought all this attention, cars and a lot more noise due to the Muscle Hut’s popularity.”

Mr George said the January lockdown has scuppered his plan to purchase new premises.

He said: “It has been detrimental to our progress in terms of expansion.

“We’d planned to expand the business further and attain another unit, but that’s now on hold due to the uncertainty. The added stress with the police issue just isn’t ideal.”

A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: “Officers received reports of an alleged breach of coronavirus regulations at a business premises at The Hedges, Camelon.

“On police attendance, the premises were closed and no criminality was established. We are committed to responding to concerns reported by the public and will continue to do so in an effort to ensure compliance with the regulations and reduce the spread of the virus.”

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