A holiday let owner in County Durham has been ordered to pay almost £3,000 after being found guilty of breaching coronavirus lockdown restrictions.
Tracey Robinson, owner of West Farm Holiday Lets in Cold Hesledon, Seaham, was found to be operating during 2021's national lockdown.
Durham County Council took legal action after police officers visited the holiday accommodation in February last year, when they received reports of a potential breach of Tier 4 lockdown restrictions which, at the time, prohibited holiday lets from operating.
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Officers spoke to three women who had paid to stay in the accommodation, before witnessing a second set of people in a nearby let, who also confirmed they were staying there.
Appearing at Peterlee Magistrates' Court, Robinson pleaded not guilty to breaching the Covid regulations in the belief that the people staying at the site were NHS staff using the holiday lets for respite.
However, magistrates heard that the women had paid an advanced deposit to stay in the accommodation and were not carers using the let for respite or work purposes, which were the requirements for exemption. The found that the incident breached the Tier 4 lockdown restrictions, and that Robinson was guilty of operating a business in contravention of Covid regulations.
Robinson, 50, was ordered to pay a £2,000 fine, £190 victim surcharge and £672 in costs.
Joanne Waller, Durham County Council’s head of community protection, said: “We have been investigating a number of complaints into the operation of West Farm during lockdown restrictions, which over the last year has resulted in multiple enforcement notices and legal action.
“We take breaches of this kind very seriously, and this case has shown that Robinson was indeed breaching restrictions during a significant time in the coronavirus pandemic, putting the safety of others at risk.”
Robinson also appeared at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates' Court last year, where she was issued with a Closure Order, forcing the premises to close until May 17 2021, while she was ordered to pay legal costs then too.
