Kettering funeral organisers to be fined £10,000 for breaching lockdown

It is Northamptonshire Police's first £10,000 fine
The funeral organisers will be fined £10,000, Northamptonshire Police saysThe funeral organisers will be fined £10,000, Northamptonshire Police says
The funeral organisers will be fined £10,000, Northamptonshire Police says

Northamptonshire Police is issuing its first £10,000 fine for the organisers of a funeral in Kettering that breached lockdown restrictions.

The funeral took place yesterday (November 9) at St Edward's Roman Catholic Church in London Road, Kettering and was attended by about 150 people.

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Northamptonshire Police Chief Constable Nick Adderley described the scenes as "exceptionally frustrating".

In a statement released today (Tuesday), Northamptonshire Police said: "Police officers were deployed to Kettering town centre at about 9am yesterday morning following reports that a large procession was making its way through the town.

"Officers acted quickly to ensure that there was minimal disruption to the local community and that road blocks were put up to prevent the procession from travelling into certain areas.

"Now the Force is seeking to issue the organisers of the funeral with a £10,000 fine for their blatant disregard of the restrictions."

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Chief Constable Adderley added: "Throughout this global pandemic, I have heard so many heart-wrenching stories from people who have had to bury their loved-ones in really difficult and harrowing circumstances.

"There have been limited numbers allowed, people who have been unable to attend and say goodbye, social distancing enforced throughout the service, and the opportunity to have a proper wake to celebrate that person’s life not allowed.

"These sacrifices have been incredibly hard for people to make but they have made them in the interests of protecting each other and their communities from a deadly virus that has killed more than one million people worldwide.

"It is then exceptionally frustrating when we see a group of people with no regard for other people’s safety, completely flouting the restrictions and having the type of funeral many people would have loved to have had but have been unable to hold, simply because they think they are above the law.

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"While I of course sympathise with anyone who has lost a loved one, it cannot be one rule for some people and another rule for others, and no one is above the law.

"This is why Northamptonshire Police is seeking to issue its first £10,000 fine to the organisers of this funeral for their total disrespect of the restrictions put in place to keep us all safe.

"This may seem like a harsh course of action to some but I do not apologise whatsoever when I have seen so many painful sacrifices made throughout this pandemic by law-abiding citizens I have a duty towards."

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