Home Secretary Priti Patel said on Thursday, January 21, that the fines for anyone attending a house party of more than 15 people will be introduced in England from next week, under new Covid measures.
These will double for each repeat offence to a maximum of £6,400.
Alison Hernandez, Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, welcomed the measures.
“In the Westcountry we have, for the most part, a law-abiding population who have been making huge sacrifices to protect the NHS and the most vulnerable in society,” she said.
“It is completely right that police have sufficient powers to deal with the small minority who do not behave in this manner and who put others at risk.”
Currently in England the fine for those attending illegal indoor gatherings stands at £200.
Fines of up to £10,000 for holding large illegal gatherings of more than 30 people will still only apply to the organisers.
Police will continue to follow the strategy of engaging with the public, explaining the rules and encouraging compliance, but the Home Office has warned that in severe breaches of lockdown rules, offenders should expect to receive a fine.