Officers found windows had been covered to prevent people seeing inside the building
Police officers broke up a wedding party attended by 400 guests at a north London school on Thursday.
Met police officers were called to Yesodey Hatorah Senior Girls’ School, in Stamford Hill after reports of a large gathering taking place. Arriving shortly after 9pm, they found that windows had been covered to prevent people seeing inside the building.
Guests are said to have instantly fled the scene when officers arrived and the wedding organisers are now facing a fine of £10,000 for breaching the coronavirus regulations. Police also confirmed that five other wedding guests have also been hit with £200 fines.
The school, which is also used as a coronavirus testing site on Sundays, is situated within the borough of Hackney, where infection rates are already above the average for England.
Detective Chief Superintendent Marcus Barnett said: “This was a completely unacceptable breach of the law, which is very clearly in place to save lives and protect the NHS. An NHS that is under considerable pressure at a time when Covid 19 has killed nearly 100,000 people. This is a deadly and very dangerous disease. We can all see that and we must act responsibly.
“People across the country are making sacrifices by cancelling or postponing weddings and other celebrations and there is no excuse for this type of behaviour. My officers are working tirelessly with the community and we will not hesitate to take enforcement action if that is required to keep people safe.”
Chris Lovitt, Deputy Director of Public Health for the City of London and London Borough of Hackney Public Health Service, added: “Although there has been a welcome reduction in new cases of Covid-19 the number of people getting infected is still very high both across London and in communities throughout Hackney.
“The pressure on NHS services, especially intensive care remains at very high levels.”
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