Police have confirmed they have paid a sixth visit to a Preston gym which is breaching Covid rules.

Reps Gym within the Roman Way Industrial Estate has now received at least five visits from police and council enforcement officers over Covid breaches as a result of staying open when they should be closed to the public.

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Councillor Peter Moss, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Planning and Regulation at Preston City Council, said: “I understand the restrictions on businesses caused by coronavirus are difficult and I am grateful to the majority who are following the national rules that are there to keep people safe.

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“However, there are a small number of businesses who continue to break these rules and put the health and safety of their staff and customers at risk by remaining open.

“Our teams are working closely with businesses to provide advice and information on operating safely or claiming support if they are unable to operate under current government restrictions.”

Preston’s current coronavirus case rate per 100,000 is 481.4.

Cllr Moss added: “While the Council will always seek to provide information and advice initially, businesses that continue to disregard this and put the safety of others at risk will face formal regulatory action.

“We are working closely with the police in this respect and encourage members of the public who have information about businesses breaking restrictions to share this with us.”

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Lancashire police also posted that they had received over 400 calls over the weekend reporting coronavirus rule breaches.

They posted what other reports they had:

• A group of people from different addresses having a hot tub party at an address in Singleton;
• A stop-check of a vehicle in Morecambe, which revealed the driver should have been isolating at home;
• A gym in Preston still open to customers;
• A house party in Darwen with 13 people present;
• An anti-lockdown protest in Morecambe with several people present who were not socially-distancing;
• Three people from different addresses in a car in Lancaster, telling officers they had met up to get a McDonald’s;
• At least 10 young people playing football at Heysham High School playing field;
• Two families having a dinner party at an address in Lytham;
• Three people in a Vauxhall Corsa in Blackpool claiming they had driven to the area from Wigan to pick up a pedal cycle;
• A woman from Bradford who had driven to Lancaster to visit a friend and her newborn baby;
• Plus several other parties in various locations right across the county.

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Ch Supt Sam Mackenzie, of Lancashire Police, said: “It’s clear to me that the vast majority of Lancastrians are doing their very best to support the national effort to beat Covid. I want thank them all, I am sure their efforts will save lives and hopefully shorten the hardship we are all facing.

“We have always been clear that our preference is to help people stay safe by explaining, educating, encouraging them to follow the rules. But when people tell us they understand the rules but have chosen to break them anyway, that approach clearly won’t work, which is when enforcement becomes necessary.

“We all want some normality back but we urge everybody not to become complacent now. You may not think it is a big deal to meet up with a small group of people or to get into a car with someone from another household – but we know it is possible to have the virus and not have any symptoms and by breaking the rules you are putting your own loved ones and other members of our communities at risk. “

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Reps Gym have been contacted for comment but had not responded by time of publication.

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