Coronavirus: Police break up ‘supercar meeting’ in Cumbria

Police in Cumbria broke up a supercar meeting on Saturday just days after coronavirus lockdown rules in England were partially relaxed.

Cumbria Roads Police said a group of 10 car enthusiasts from outside the county were stopped on Saturday and sent home after being caught driving through the tourist hotspot.

A picture posted on social media by the force showed a £230,000 McLaren 720S Spider, a £50,000 Jaguar F-Type and a Ferrari pulled over by the side of the road next to a police car.

“Having a Super Car Meeting in Cumbria/ Lakes is NOT essential,” Cumbria Roads Police tweeted on Saturday evening.

“Approximately 10 Super Cars escorted back the motorway and sent to their respective counties.”

Cumbria Police have been indundated with cases of motorists breaking lockdown rules since the restrictions came into place in late March.

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Last week the force said they had stopped a driver who said they were travelling from Edinburgh to Wigan to buy a puppy.

The person was issued with a fine and sent on their way but was later caught attempting to ignoring the instruction to return home and was issued a second fine before being escorted across the border.

Under the new lockdown rules people are allowed to go to beauty spots across England “for leisure purposes”, but not stay in the area.

But people in England should not travel to Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, where the public is still being told to avoid any travel which is not essential.

The Lake District National Park Authority's chief executive Richard Leafe urged the public not to flock to Cumbria after the changes.

He said: "It's early days but at the moment it's quiet and we hope to see this throughout the weekend."

He had previously asked people not to travel "because of the impact you will have on the local communities".

Under the current rules, where members of the public refuse to listen to advice, officers can issue penalty notices of £60, which will rise to £120 if they have previously received a fixed penalty notice under the same regulations.

Individuals who do not pay a fixed penalty notice could be taken to court, with magistrates able to impose further fines.

If an individual continues to refuse to comply, they will be acting unlawfully, and the police may arrest them.

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