Large illegal gathering dispersed in Wandsworth

An illegal gathering at a private address in Wandsworth was shut down by police on Thursday night (11 Feb).

The gathering broke the requirement to not participate in a gathering of more than 15 persons in a private dwelling.

Shortly before 23:40hrs officers were called to the address after being informed that a house party was taking place.

On entering the location, officers found there to be between 30 and 40 people present.

Two people were arrested; one female for breach of Covid regulations and one male for an unrelated offence.

Fixed penalty notices were issued to the other attendees, the party dispersed and the premises locked.

Inspector Matt Ebbs from South West Command Unit, said:

"It is saddening to have to deal with an incident like this where large numbers of people have illegally gathered in breach of Covid regulations during a national lockdown.

"At a time when so many members of the public are making considerable sacrifices and abiding by the rules to keep others safe, these individuals acted selfishly and risked spreading the virus which has already claimed countless lives across our city.

"These are challenging times but we must all play our part, and I urge everyone to follow the rules to protect themselves and their community."

Officers report offenders for potential Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) using a digital system.

These reports are checked centrally by the Met to ensure the necessary information is included and there is sufficient evidence to support the alleged offence.

The reports are then sent on to ACRO (Criminal Records Office) where they are reviewed again before ACRO issues the appropriate FPN to the recipient by post.

If the recipient is identified as a repeat offender, the fixed penalty may increase.

Recipients who fail to pay the fixed penalty will be summoned to court where they can challenge it. Where the FPN is upheld, the court will set the fine and may add court costs.

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