Edinburgh drivers fined for lockdown trips to East Lothian seaside town

Drivers from Edinburgh have been fined after they were caught breaking lockdown rules and travelling to North Berwick.

Five ‘Covid-19 breaches’ were found to be taking place in the seaside town over a two-day period, resulting in police officers issuing fines to the motorists in question.

According to the East Lothian Courier, one driver told officers they were “out for a drive”, while another said they were simply looking for some “peace and quiet”.

However, under the current lockdown restrictions, a person can only leave their local authority area for an essential purpose.

Local outdoor recreation, sport or exercise, walking, cycling, golf, or running that starts and finishes at the same place can be up to five miles from the boundary of your local authority area and must adhere to the rules on meeting other households.

Details of all the incidents were included in a report sent to North Berwick Community Council.

In the evening of January 29, a vehicle was stopped near Leuchie House and the driver and passenger, both from Edinburgh, were issued with a Covid breach ticket.

On January 30, a man and woman parked on Tantallon Terrace in the early hours of the morning were issued with Covid breach tickets.

Fines have been issued to five people from Edinburgh who broke lockdown rules to travel to North Berwick.

In the evening of the same day, a woman who told police she had driven from her home in Edinburgh to North Berwick for some “peace and quiet” was also issued with a Covid breach ticket.

Fines start at £30, doubling to £60 if not paid within 28 days.

East Lothian MSP Iain Gray has condemned those flouting lockdown restrictions, saying the current rules “could not have been any clearer”.

He said: “The instructions to stay at home, and certainly within our own local area, during this lockdown could not have been any clearer.

“There have been some extreme examples of rule breaches over the last few weeks, so I welcome action being taken against anyone caught defying the travel rules.

“The fact is that non-essential travel can help to spread the virus and that will only result in a longer period of lockdown for everyone.

“We must all obey the rules.”

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.