COVID-19: Piers Corbyn fined for illegal gatherings held during lockdowns

Jeremy Corbyn's brother has been fined for holding illegal gatherings during coronavirus lockdowns.

Piers Corbyn has campaigned against vaccines, face masks and COVID restrictions throughout the pandemic.

The 75-year-old was found guilty of holding, or helping organise, a gathering of more than 30 people in Trafalgar Square in August 2020.

Another illegal gathering that flouted COVID rules happened in the same place in September 2020, and in Westminster a month later.

He has now been fined £750 over these three offences - and was also ordered to pay £275 in prosecution costs and £109 in surcharges.

At the time, regulations stated no one could gather outdoors in groups of six or more unless certain exemptions applied.

Fellow protesters Louise Creffield and Vincent Dunmall were found guilty of the same offences.

Creffield, a 36-year-old from Brighton, was fined £250 for all three dates, and also had to pay £50 in prosecution costs and £34 in surcharges.

Dunmall, a 55-year-old from Orpington, was ordered to pay a £175 fine alongside £75 in prosecution costs and £34 in surcharges.

According to the Metropolitan Police, Corbyn was also involved in holding a fourth gathering that violated restrictions in place at the time - on the South Bank in central London on 31 December 2020.

However, no fines were issued in relation to this incident.

Detective Inspector Chris Rudd said: "It was saddening to have to deal with these incidents where large numbers of people illegally gathered in breach of COVID regulations during a national emergency period.

"At a time when so many members of the public were making considerable sacrifices and abiding by the rules to keep others safe, these individuals acted selfishly and risked spreading the virus."

Last November, Corbyn was involved in a video that compared wearing a face mask on public transport to "trying to keep a fart in your trousers".