A pair caught having a bbq on Brighton beach in contravention of lockdown guidelines have been spared a court date and retrospectively fined instead.
The 31-year-old man and 48-year-old woman from Hove were publicly shamed after being caught on camera on Brighton beach over the Easter bank holiday.
Officers from Sussex Police were filmed pouring water on the bbq while the pair complained they were ruining their day.
Police originally said they would be summonsed to court – but today, the force said they were being given retrospective fixed penalty notices instead.
A police spokesman said: “Two people alleged to have breached Schedule 21 of the Coronavirus Act 2020 after becoming abusive to PCSOs and police officers on the beach at Hove on Saturday, April 4, have been issued with fixed penalty notices.
“The pair, a 31-year-old man and a 48-year-old woman, both from Hove, were spotted having a barbecue on the beach, but despite repeated requests to leave, allegedly refused to so. They were initially reported for summons, but the decision was taken to retrospectively issue the fixed penalty notices.”
Fixed penalty notices for breaching lockdown guidelines require offenders to pay £60, which is reduced to £30 if paid within 14 days.
