Police break up illegal party at barbers with 22 people facing fines

Event organiser faces £10,000 Fixed Penalty Notice

More than 20 people are facing fines after police shut down an illegal party taking place at a barber shop in London.

Officers were alerted to a large gathering with loud music taking place at a barbers on London Road in Croydon late last Friday night.

Attendees were found to be in breach of Health Protection Regulations and were dispersed from the scene, Metropolitan Police said in a statement.

A total of 22 people were referred for fixed penalty notices following the raid and the organiser of the event faces a £10,000 fine.

Police posted footage of the raid online, taken from body cameras, showing officers walking through an empty room of the barbers before reaching a separate room where several people can be seen.

Inspector Kathy Morteo, of the Met’s South Area Command, said: “Everyone knows that it is neither lawful nor safe for such events to take place while the country is dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The Health Protection Regulations are in place for good and easily understood reasons, and it is our role to enforce them in London.”

Metropolitan Police have dealt with several parties in breach of coronavirus restrictions in recent weeks.

Earlier in February, officers arrested a man after 30 people were found at an illegal party aboard a boat on the River Lea.

The boat party came two days after police dispersed 40 people from a house party in Wandsworth where one woman was arrested and others fined.

Last month however, more than 30 police officers in London were faced with fines after receiving haircuts from a professional barber while on duty.