A gym owner in Merseyside who vowed to stay open despite new coronavirus restrictions taking effect in the region has been fined £1,000.
Officers twice attended Body Tech Fitness in Moreton, Wirral, on Wednesday as new tier three measures, including the closure of gyms, bars and betting shops, came into force.
After the new rules for the Liverpool City Region were announced, owner Nick Whitcombe said on his Instagram page the gym would be staying open.
He said: ‘We are not staying open for financial gain but more for our members’ mental and physical well-being.
‘Gyms should be supported in fighting against Covid obesity, mental health and many other conditions and diseases.’
On Wednesday he posted a video showing five police officers in the gym.
Merseyside Police said they were called to the gym on Pasture Road at 8.35am on Wednesday after somebody reported they were breaching the new rules.
Officers ordered the gym to close but when they returned later that day and it was still open, Mr Whitcombe was issued with a fixed penalty notice ordering him to pay a £1,000 fine.
A Gofundme page set up to help the gym with any legal costs has raised more than £24,000.
What are the rules and restrictions under each of the three Covid-19 Alert Levels?
A new three-tier system of coronavirus restrictions began in England on Wednesday.
Nationwide restrictions apply in tier one, which mean people can meet in a group of up to six people from multiple households either indoors or outdoors. Unlike in Scotland and Wales, the six includes children.
Pubs, bars and restaurants must close at 10pm and face coverings must be worn while shopping, on public transport and in other indoor areas.
Under the tier two restrictions, people cannot meet with anyone they do not live with indoors unless they are part of a support bubble. The rule of six applies for socialising outside, and pubs, bars and restaurants have a 10pm curfew.
The highest level of restrictions means people cannot socialise with anyone outside their household in any indoor and many outdoor settings. Pubs and bars will be forced to close unless they are operating as a restaurant.
Weddings and funerals will be allowed to take place with restrictions on the number of guests.
Liverpool City Region, comprising 1.6 million people, remains the only area currently in tier three.
A further 26.7 million people – including those in London – will now be covered by the tier two restrictions.
Chief Superintendent Claire Richards said: ‘We understand that people are frustrated with the current situation and for a number of local businesses, including the fitness and leisure industry, this will be particularly hard.
‘It’s not that long ago that gyms reopened their doors after lockdown and they did so after making huge changes to the way they work for the safety and protection of their customers.
‘But while this lockdown does present huge challenges, the focus of us all should now be on preventing the spread of the virus and getting us back to normality as safely and as quickly as possible.
‘The new restrictions have been brought in to try to achieve that, and if we don’t act decisively and collaboratively, the impact could be harder and last even longer.
‘We will therefore continue to encourage members of the public and businesses to adhere to the guidance, explain why they should and – as in this case – use enforcement where there are clear breaches of legislation.’
The UK’s largest gym chain, Pure Gym, has said it is considering legal action over the decision to close gyms and fitness centres in Liverpool.
A petition calling for the Government to prevent gyms closing as a measure to stop the spread of Covid-19 has been signed by more than 131,000 people.
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