Mansfield barber hit with £1,000 Covid fine after opening for business in lockdown

Police found a number of people waiting to have their haircuts inside Millers Barbers on Nottingham Road on Sunday morning after being tipped off by a member of the public.

A £1,000 fine was given to the 28-year-old business owner and nine other men, aged between 22 and 55, were each handed £200 fines for breaking strict Covid-19 rules.

The fines were dished out despite the barbers being previously warned about the Covid-19 restrictions in June.

It is believed the premises had been taking appointments via Facebook while continuing to operate in breach of the regulations.

Hairdressers are one of the businesses currently not allowed to be open during lockdown – and are not expected to re-open until April 12 at the earliest under the Government’s road map out of restrictions.

The men also breached social distancing rules as folk can currently only socialise with one other person not in their household.

Nottinghamshire Police's Assistant Chief Constable Steve Cooper said: "This was a flagrant breach of the rules and ultimately turned out to be very expensive haircuts for these customers.

"There are still Covid-19 regulations in place and they remain for a force for a reason in order to stop the spread of the virus, save lives and protect the NHS.

"I'd like to thank the vast majority of people who have been complying with the rules throughout the pandemic but we all need to continue to act responsibly.

"It's great news that increasingly more people are being vaccinated in Nottinghamshire but the road map to bring us out of lockdown is reliant on people sticking to the current rules.

“We don’t want people jumping the gun now which is why it's vital that everyone does everything they can to prevent transmission of the virus by following the regulations."

Coun Marion Bradshaw, portfolio holder for safer communities, housing and wellbeing at Mansfield District Council, branded the men’s actions as irresponsible.

“The council is disappointed to hear of this breach of the rules,” she said.

"It is vitally important that every business and individual acts responsibly at this challenging time to help bring down infection rates.

“The council has been working closely with the police to ensure residents and businesses in our district adhere to the Covid-19 restrictions and we regularly share information and intelligence to ensure Covid-related issues are dealt with swiftly and effectively.

“We fully support the police in taking this action. It highlights the potential consequences should anyone be tempted to break the lockdown rules.”

In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever.

Thank you to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a subscription or buying a paper. We stand together.

Your support is greatly appreciated.

We stand together. Ashley Booker, editor.