A couple from the Wirral have been fined £10,000 each for failing to quarantine after returning home from Dubai, which is currently on the travel ‘red list’.
The man and woman avoided a direct flight back to a specified airport in the UK to try to bypass the requirement to quarantine in a designated hotel.
Merseyside police received a report about them on February 23 and, following an investigation, the pair were each issued with a £10,000 fine on February 26 and taken to a designated quarantine hotel.
Chief inspector Chris Barnes said: “Strict rules around international travel have been put in place by the government for a reason, and to disregard them in this way is selfish, inconsiderate, and potentially dangerous.
“If you are required to quarantine at a hotel, you can only arrive in England at certain ports of entry.
“In this instance, the pair in question avoided a direct flight route back from Dubai to one of the specified airports in an attempt to evade this process.
“However, this was ultimately unsuccessful and has now resulted in a significant fine of £10,000 each.
“I hope this incident sends out a clear message to anyone considering breaching travel regulations in this way that we will not tolerate it, and you will be dealt with robustly.
“We are at a crucial point in the pandemic and it’s vital that everyone continues to abide by the restrictions so that we can meet the criteria needed for lockdown to ease. By not doing so, you are not only jeopardising this process, but recklessly putting your health and the health of others at risk.”