Yahoo Movies Three men face Covid fine after being rescued trying to reach WW2 sea fort
A screengrab from body video of three men about to be fined for breaching covid regulations
(Kent Police/PA Wire)Three men were handed Covid-19 fines after getting into difficulty trying to reach a Second World War fort located out at sea.
The trio had driven more than 150 miles from Staffordshire to Southend on Sunday before getting onto a boat, despite restrictions on movement during lockdown.
They were trying to reach the Red Sands Sea Fort in Whitstable, which is one of a series of estuary sea forts built during the war in an effort to defend London from invasion.
They had to be rescued by emergency services who brought them to land where they explained they had intended to spend the night at the fort.
The men, aged between 31 and 41, were issued with fines for breaching Covid-19 regulations, Kent Police said.
In a police bodycam video, an officer can be heard telling the men: “You know due to national lockdown you shouldn’t be gathering in more than two people outside within two metres of each other and you shouldn’t be doing stuff that’s non-essential, which obviously your journey is clearly non-essential, yeah?
“Usually we only give them to people that are in county, it’s very rare that people are out of county.
“You guys have definitely come from the furthest. Just don’t do it again.”
The fines were among more than 200 fixed penalty notices issued for breaching Covid-19 regulations by Kent Police.
Assistant Chief Constable Claire Nix said: “Whilst the vast majority of people continue to abide by the latest Government guidelines to help stop the spread of the virus, it is incredibly frustrating that there are still a small minority who think the rules don’t apply to them.
“We have seen examples of people who are not only behaving selfishly, but also putting unnecessary strain on the emergency services with their reckless actions.
“Whilst I understand the desire we all have to return to normality, we are still in a critical time and it is important to do the right thing, follow the guidelines, save lives and protect the NHS.
“Preventing the spread of the virus is a shared effort and all members of the public need to take personal responsibility.”
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