Fines for breaking lockdown three rules start at £200

People caught breaking the strict new lockdown rules could be fined from £200 upwards.

Full guidelines for lockdown three state people can be issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice of £200 for the first offence, doubling for further offences up to a maximum of £6,400.

The Government website says: ‘You must not leave or be outside of your home except where you have a “reasonable excuse”. This will be put in law.

‘The police can take action against you if you leave home without a “reasonable excuse”, and issue you with a fine (Fixed Penalty Notice).’

With the guidance similar to the first national lockdown in March last year, people are only allowed to leave their homes for a limited number of reasons.

Things which count as ‘reasonable excuses’ include work if it cannot be carried out from home, volunteering, education, childcare, to go food shopping (you may also do this on behalf of a vulnerable person or someone self-isolating), medical reasons, see your support bubble, in an emergency or to take exercise once per day.

The prime minister made a televised address to the nation at 8pm this evening to announce the harsh new measures, which closely resemble the first national lockdown in March last year.

New rules include the closure of primary schools, secondary schools, and colleges which will move to remote teaching from tomorrow until February half term, although nurseries will remain open.

People are encouraged to stay at home as much as possible as Boris Johnson revealed the NHS is at risk of becoming overwhelmed in some areas in as little as 21 days without further action.

‘As I speak to you tonight, our hospitals are under more pressure from Covid than at any time since the start of the pandemic,’ he said.

‘It’s clear that we need to do more to bring this under control while the vaccines are rolled out.’

Mr Johnson stressed with the mass vaccination programme underway he hopes the strict measures can start to be eased from mid-February.

‘You may only leave home for limited reasons permitted in law, such as to shop for essentials, to work if you absolutely cannot work from home, to exercise, to seek medical assistance such as getting a Covid test, or to escape domestic abuse,’ he explained.

You can find the full national lockdown rules here.

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