Police fine Corby Covidiots found at birthday celebration

Four people have been left counting the cost after having a Corby birthday party despite the town having one of the highest Covid rates in the country.

Special constables attended the address off Greenhill Rise yesterday (Sunday) after reports that the celebration was being held, despite emergency coronavirus powers banning gatherings of two or more people in a private house.

Two people had come to visit two other people for a birthday party - and all four adults were fined £200 each.

A police spokesman said: "People should know the rules by now and follow them to mitigate the spread of this virus."

The Covidiots held the party in the week that Corby's Covid rates almost tripled in seven days and became one of the highest in England.

It also came in the week where Corby Council leader Tom Beattie pleaded with Prime Minister Boris Johnson to close all non-essential firms after this paper revealed that the town’s iForce warehouse was still bussing-in dozens of workers each week from London.

Corby has now overtaken Northampton to have the county's highest infection rate in the past seven days, with 966.5 per 100,000 people.

Since the start of the pandemic 2,770 people have tested positive in Corby, with 81 deaths of people within 28 days of a positive test.

The NAB Police Specials team, who handed out the birthday party fines, said: "Please follow the guidelines to protect everyone."