Seven people who thought it was a good idea to choose to travel to Cornwall, rent a house and have a celebration have been fined a total of £1,400.

Posting on Twitter this evening, Chief Inspector Ian Thompson said that the incident today was totally unacceptable after the fine was issued by Falmouth Police.

He said Devon and Cornwall Police would continue to enforce the COVID regulations to keep communities safe.

@FalmouthPolice today issued £1400 of fines to 7 people who chose to travel to Cornwall, rent a house & have a celebration. Totally unacceptable. @DC_Police will continue to enforce the COVID regulations to keep our communities safe.

— Ian Thompson (@CInspThomo5949) January 17, 2021

Last week Devon and Cornwall Police were called out to investigate more than 250 Covid breaches within the space of eight and a half hours.

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Rules in this third lockdown state that you cannot leave your home or the place where you are living for holidays or overnight stays, unless you have a reasonable excuse for doing so.

This means that holidays in the UK and abroad are not allowed – which also includes staying in a second home or caravan, if that is not your primary residence.

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Explained: What you can and can't do in national lockdown 3

The only exceptions to this, which mean you can stay overnight away from your home, are if you:

? are visiting your support bubble

? are unable to return to your main residence

? need accommodation while moving house

? need accommodation to attend a funeral or related commemorative event

? require accommodation for work purposes or to provide voluntary services

? are a child requiring accommodation for school or care

? are homeless, seeking asylum, a vulnerable person seeking refuge, or if escaping harm (including domestic abuse)

? are an elite athlete or their support staff or parent, if the athlete is under 18 and it is necessary to be outside of the home for training or competition

And anyone who was already on holiday when lockdown was announced just under a week ago on Monday, January 4, was told that they must return home as soon as practical.