Havering Baby Shower Blunder

Two people in Hornchurch have been fined £200 for breaching lockdown regulations after organising a baby shower.

Police officers went to a private address in Elm Park Avenue, Hornchurch at 6:10pm on 24th January where they found 20 guests from a number of different households.

The officers observed that there were gifts and balloons and quickly realised that this gathering was a baby shower and this was not a spontaneous decision made by the organisers.

The organisers – both men aged 22 and 44 – were each given £200 fines for breaching Covid restrictions and the others involved were advised to leave the premises.

This follows after a recent government report shows that 732 Havering residents have tested positive for COVID-19 in the week ending 29th January, bringing the total number of cases in the London borough to 24,832. Havering still has an extremely high infection rate and is the second worst borough for positive cases in London.

Chief Superintendent Stephen Clayman from the East Area Basic Command Unit said: “A gathering like this can have tragic consequences for all those involved and risks spreading this terrible virus to our loved ones and the wider community. Please have no doubt, we are determined to deal robustly with those who breach the Covid regulations in this way.”