Four UK arrivals fined £10,000 each for failing to declare ‘red list’ travel
‘There are some people who have attempted to hide their routes but that's not worked out,’ officer says
Four people have been fined £10,000 for failing to declare they had travelled to the UK from a “red list” country, police said.
The four arrived at Birmingham airport on Monday and were not allowed to leave.
Chris Todd, temporary assistant chief constable at West Midlands Police, told a meeting held by the force’s strategic policing and crime board: “By midday yesterday [Monday], on the first day of implementation, we have received six passengers who had declared travelling from a red list country, who were taken to the quarantine hotel.
“We also had four passengers who were identified as having travelled from a red list country, that hadn’t declared it.
“So there are some people who have attempted to hide their routes but that’s not worked out.
“They were identified and received £10,000 fines as a result.”
It is not currently known which red list country they had been to. The Independent has contacted West Midlands Police for further information.
Those travelling to England from 33 high-risk countries must quarantine in a hotel for 10 days at a cost of £1,750.
The four people fined had flown to Birmingham via a country not on the list.
Only people who are UK or Irish nationals or UK residents are allowed to enter the UK from a “red list” country.
Scotland has extended the requirement to isolate in a hotel to cover arrivals from any country, unless they have travelled from or via the common travel area, which includes the UK and Ireland.
This loophole led to a man and his daughter who entered the programme on Monday being allowed to leave after just one day and complete their isolation at home.
Chun Wong and eight-year-old Kiernan arrived at Edinburgh airport from the US via a connecting flight in Dublin, and were taken to a nearby hotel to begin their quarantine.
However, Mr Wong was later contacted by officials to tell him he did not need to abide by the rules.
Additional reporting by PA