Police drop Lincoln student’s £10k fine for COVID breach party with 100 people

Lincolnshire Police have dropped the £10,000 fine that was issued to a student for organising a party attended by up to 100 people.

Police were called to Viking House on Newland, which is managed by the University of Lincoln, on December 4 last year. When officers arrived they found a party “in full swing” with “at least 70 people, possibly up to 100”.

The fine will now no longer need to be paid. Andy Morrice, Chief Inspector at Lincolnshire Police, said: “The evidence was reviewed, and we decided to withdraw the ticket. We continue to work with the university who are very proactive and supportive in ensuring students act responsibly in our community.”

When the fine was first issued the University of Lincoln said it was taking the matter “extremely seriously” and had launched an internal investigation.

The University was unable to comment on the internal investigation due to privacy reasons, but a spokesperson said: “We encourage all of our students to follow the rules and act responsibly to help stop the spread of the virus and keep our community safe. We are proud of the vast majority of our students who are doing so.”

Chief Superintendent Jon McAdam of Lincolnshire Police previously said: “It seems the organiser had decided to ignore the rules and regulations set out by the COVID-19 legislation, which says that gatherings of more than 30 people are not allowed, and which are of course there to help stop the spread of the virus.

“As a result, we identified the organiser and issued the full £10,000 fine on-the-spot. This is of course means tested and only issued for the most serious of breaches, which this was.”

Meanwhile, Lincolnshire Police issued 367 COVID-19 enforcement fines, including those under local lockdowns, between March and December last year, according to the latest data published from the National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC).