Coronavirus in Sheffield: Police reveal how many fines have been issued over lockdown laws

Topping the list for the number of fines handed out by forces in England between March 27 and April 13 for breaches of new lockdown laws is Lancashire Constabulary, which issued 380 - largely due to visitors flocking to the seaside town of Blackpool.

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Officers working for Thames Valley Police handed out 219 fines, Devon and Cornwall officers issued 169, officers in Surrey fined 205 people, Sussex officers issue 163 fines and North Yorkshire officers handed out 150.

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Humberside Police issued the least number of fines over the two week period, with just two handed out.

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It has also emerged that 39 fines mistakenly issued to children for breaches of coronavirus lockdown rules will be withdrawn.

During the period a total of 3,203 fines were issued by police forces in England.

Members of the public as old as 100 were slapped with a £60 penalty, that is reduced to £30 if paid within two weeks.

A third of the fines went to those aged 18-24, with a further third going to those aged 25-34.

In total 26 people aged between 65 to 100 also received notices.

Police said that 83 people were brought straight to court for allegedly breaking the rules.

National Police Chiefs Council chairman Martin Hewitt admitted there had been a ‘very small number’ of errors but insisted ‘tens and tens of thousands’ of encounters with the police had been appropriate.

The new laws came in at ‘great speed’ and police officers were ‘trying to do their best in very, very difficult and unusual circumstances,’ he said.

He added: “Of course there have been mistakes and I think we have been very quick to come forward when we have made mistakes.

“But I would like to think that the public would have some recognition of the fact that this is legislation that came in at high speed a few weeks ago, is highly, highly unusual and we are having to adapt to that across the whole of the service.”