Humberside Police respond to national media reports about unpaid Covid fines

In response to national media reports about unpaid Covid fines, Assistant Chief Constable Paul Anderson said:

“Of the 210 fixed penalty notices that we have issued so far during the Covid crisis, many of these are still being processed through the system, so whilst they are not included in the figures that are reported as paid yet, we do expect that they will be paid in due course. 

“Of the cases which have been through the court system in our area, the average fine has been set at around £600.

“The vast majority of the public are abiding by the rules and we encourage everyone to do so.  We have some of the highest infection rates in the country in our area and the rules are in place to help reduce these rates, protect the NHS and save lives. 

“I ask anyone  who is feeling more complacent this time, is fatigued by lockdown or is considering take extra risks to please re-think.  The second wave has so far been far more serious than the first wave and if we want to be able to have more freedom to do more sooner, then we need to do the right thing now.

“Many people are thinking about Christmas and want to spend time with their families over the festive period.  We don’t yet know whether or not this will be possible, but if we’re going to maximise our chances of being able to do it then people should follow the rules now and help reduce the R rate as quickly as we can and not be distracted by trying to find ways to bend the rules or avoid paying fines.”