People in Wales were far more likely to receive a fine for Covid rules but many fines were given to people from England who travelled into Wales, according to a new report. Academics at the University of Edinburgh’s Law School have gone through in detail all the fixed penalty notices (FPNs) issued under the Coronavirus Regulations in Wales and England between March 27, 2020, and May 31, 2021.
The data shows the rate of FPNs issued per 10,000 adults in Wales was 1.9 times higher than in England. It also showed that three-quarters of fines issued in Wales to people who had come from outside the relevant police force area had come from England.
The regulations introduced to give these temporary powers of enforcement to police were to help stop the spread of Covid-19. Police officers were given the power to issue FPNs and in some extreme cases to arrest people found to not be complying with the restrictions.
