POLICE have been issuing fines to rule-breakers in the Cotswolds, while pupils at two schools are self isolating after positive Covid tests, in an eventful first week of the second lockdown.

Children and staff at Northleach Primary School and Cirencester Deer Park are self-isolating following the coronavirus cases.

All year 4 pupils at Northleach have been sent home until Monday following a positive test.

At Deer Park, year 9 pupils have been asked to to work remotely at home until Friday after eight teachers were forced to self-isolate.

As the second lockdown continues, day trippers are still continuing to flock to the Cotswolds, police say.

The Government has published 32 pages of regulations including exceptions to the general stay-at-home message.Specific reasons include for exercise, which you can take as many times a day as you wish.

Whilst on patrols in Bourton-on-the-Water on Saturday, officers spotted day trippers from Swindon, Oxford, Shrewsbury, Sussex and London.

On Saturday, officers handed out a fine to four men who were found to be travelling in a vehicle in Bourton-on-the-Water, despite living in separate addresses.

A Cotswolds Police spokesman said: “Day trippers from London, Shrewsbury, Sussex, Oxford and Swindon encouraged to consider exercising more locally. No tickets issued. There is nothing in law to state people cannot travel for exercise and there is no limit on the distance they can travel in the legislation so we can only encourage people to not travel as far.”

Over 170 reports were made to Gloucestershire Police over the weekend relating to breaches of Covid-19 legislation.

Many of the breaches related to more than two people from different households gathering in a private or public places without a reasonable excuse. This included gatherings of more than 30 people, including a ‘freedom rally’ in Stroud and an illegal rave in Yate. 

On the whole, officers resolved many of the incidents without the need to take enforcement action, but 15 people were reported in relation to breaches and will be receiving a fixed penalty notice from the ACRO Criminal Records Office.

Police say they also handed out a £1,000 fine to someone in breach of Covid-19 isolation rules after returning from a holiday abroad.

A force spokesman said: “Our officers are still engaging, explaining and encouraging people to follow coronavirus regulations, but where someone knowingly flouts the law we will move to enforcement more quickly. The incidents we respond to reflect the most serious breaches though, and from the thousands of encounters we have we know the vast majority of people are still complying with the law and acting responsibly.

“We know self-isolation can be difficult, stressful and inconvenient but it is vitally important in stopping the spread of Covid-19, particularly to people who could become very sick if they catch the virus. We would like to say thank you to those people and would reassure everyone that we are seeking to act with fairness and consistency in all instances, but where people consciously break the law we’ll take action.”