A joint operation between the Metropolitan Police and Waltham Forest Council to target venues open in defiance of Covid-19 regulations has resulted in 36 individuals being reported for fines up to £800, with two people facing a possible £10,000 penalty

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An open shutter alerted officers to a group inside a venue on Hoe Street, Walthamstow who were smoking shisha and consuming beverages on the evening of Friday 29 January.  Although the trio claimed to be waiting for a food order no evidence of this order was found and all three were reported for £200 Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs). The premises was previously found to be open in November 2020 in breach of then-current regulations with fines being reported on this occasion also. The Council will now decide what further action to take in regards to this repeated rule-breaking.