First Covid Fines on the Way Over Whitehall Parties
The Met Police are set to dish out the first batch of fixed penalty notices (FPNs) over alleged Covid rule breaches in Whitehall and Downing Street. But who’s on the list? That’s under wraps – the force won’t name names or reveal which events these fines relate to.
Downing Street: We’ll Tell If PM’s in the Frame
However, Downing Street insists it will confirm if the Prime Minister is among those fined. The Met will pass the FPNs to the ACRO Criminal Records Office, who will handle issuing the penalties directly to individuals.
Met Police Statement: Investigation Presses On
“The investigation into allegations of breaches of COVID-19 regulations in Whitehall and Downing Street has now progressed to the point where the first referrals for fixed penalty notices (FPN) will be made to ACRO Criminal Records Office.
“We will today initially begin to refer 20 fixed penalty notices to be issued for breaches of Covid-19 regulations. The ACRO Criminal Records Office will then be responsible for issuing the FPNs to the individual following the referrals from the MPS.
“We are making every effort to progress this investigation at speed and have completed a number of assessments. However due to the significant amount of investigative material that remains to be assessed, further referrals may be made to ACRO if the evidential threshold is made.
“As it has for all fixed penalty notices issued during the pandemic, the MPS will follow the College of Policing Approved Professional Practice for Media Relations which states that ‘Identities of people dealt with by cautions, speeding fines and other fixed penalties – out-of-court disposals – should not be released or confirmed.’
“We will not confirm the number of referrals from each individual event subject to our investigation as providing a breakdown at this point may lead to identification of the individuals.”
