Police take COVID-19 enforcement action in Falkirk as house parties continue

According to recent Police Scotland COVID-19 enforcement figures – which are released every Friday – a total of 216 people across the Forth Valley area were spoken to by officers and ordered to leave house parties or gatherings in the first week of April.

And one person from the area was arrested for COVID-19 breaches.

In Scotland as a whole 448 fixed penalty notices were issued to people who ignored COVID-19 restrictions and nine people were arrested.

The UK and Scottish Governments introduced separate pieces of legislation in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in communities – these included restrictions imposed by The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 and Coronavirus Act 2020.

Each piece of legislation contains separate powers for Scottish police officers which enables them to help ensure the current restrictions in place across the country are being followed.

A Police Scotland spokeperson said: “The vast majority of the public have and will continue to comply with the current restrictions. The policing style adopted will be central to ensuring the compliance of our fellow citizens. Officers should engage, explain, encourage and enforce.

“This could be by asking individuals, groups or businesses whether they have heard about the new regulations and restrictions. Officers will stress the risks to public health and the NHS. Enforcement will be used as a last resort.”

At the end of October last year police attended a property in Bonnybridge where 100 people breached coronavirus restrictions by attending a Halloween party.

On their arrival, officers discovered a 48-seater bus and several cars parked outside the premises.

As as result of the incident a 46-year-old man was charged with breaching COVID-19 regulations and issued with a fixed penalty notice, while the alleged organiser of the Saturday night party, a 33-year-old man, was charged with culpable and reckless conduct.

At the time Police Scotland dealt with more than 300 house gatherings over that weekend, the vast majority of which involved small groups of people in houses.

More than 300 fixed penalty were issued and 24 people were arrested between Friday, October 30 and Sunday, November 1.