THREE people caught attending a barbecue in Crewe have been slapped with Covid-19 fines.

The trio were in breach of lockdown restrictions at the property and were issued with Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) by police.

Cheshire Police say officers issued more than three times the numbers of FPNs last weekend than they did in the whole of December.

They are urging residents to stay at home and stick to the rules and stress the majority of people have been doing so.

A total of 58 notices were issued across the county as a result of what police say were "blatant breaches of the rules", mostly at parties and gatherings. In December a total of 21 FPNs were imposed.

Police also stopped a number of vehicles carrying multiple occupants who were not from the same household or the Cheshire area and were travelling without a reasonable excuse.

In Chester, eight FPNs were issued to people attending a house party after reports of loud music, while four were issued at a children's birthday party in Warrington at which one of the adults attending had travelled from Birmingham.

Under the current regulations, notices charge £200 for a first offence which doubles for further offences up to a maximum of £6,400.

Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims said: "We have been living with some form of restrictions for around 10 months now and we have had to make incredible sacrifices in order to keep the ones we love safe.

"The majority of people living in Cheshire have been sticking to the rules in place and I would like to thank them for doing so.

"However, there is a minority who continue to blatantly and repeatedly flout the rules in place. This is not acceptable.

"Our officers will continue to engage, explain and encourage but when they are met with these persistent rule breakers who have no regard for the safety of others, we must do what we can to protect the NHS and save lives."

People are being told to stay at home and avoid all non-essential travel, unless it is for one of the following reasons:

• To shop for basic necessities
• To exercise
• To go to work if you cannot do so from home
• To escape risk of harm