Coronavirus lockdown breaches: Sussex's rule-breakers

The unprecedented instructions were heeded by most residents across Sussex after being announced by the Prime Minister Boris Johnson the previous evening.

However, during the first lockdown – and during following restrictions – some people decided to flout the rules.

To mark one year since the first day of lockdown, we take a look at some of the most flagrant breaches of the year.

Beach barbecue pair moved by police

Pair told off by police for having BBQ on Brighton beach

On April 4, just under two weeks after the announcement of lockdown, a pair of beachgoers parked themselves on the pebbles and lit a barbecue.

Police arrived to move the duo along from their chosen spot near Hove Lawns amid yells from passers-by to “get off the beach”.

One witness, who asked not to be named, said the woman was “horrified” that she was asked to move along.

Pair pictured “having sex” on Brighton beach amid lockdown

Pair 'have sex' on Brighton beach

On April 23, while people were only allowed out for “essential reasons”, a couple were pictured during what was believed to be a sex act on the beach.

An early morning picture captured the pair on the beach near the Brighton Centre in an apparent moment of lockdown lust.

Brighton and Hove City Council described the snap as “an unfortunate picture” – adding it believed the pair’s friends and family would be “highly embarrassed” if they saw it.

University of Sussex Halloween party

Halloween party at University of Sussex

In November, amid the country’s second lockdown, students at the University of Sussex goaded police who were called to disperse a Halloween party.

Dozens of officers were called to the Falmer campus to scores of partying youngsters packing into halls of residence, while others set off fireworks.

Shocking footage emerged of students chanting “who are ya?” at officers as a man clad in a green costume bounded down stairs, bundling into another group.

The university later said students were evicted from their halls after they were identified as having breached coronavirus restrictions.

Pub fined thousands for flouting Covid rules after customer caught hiding in toilet

In January this year, a pub was fined £2,000 after a customer was found by police hiding in the toilet in breach of lockdown restrictions.

Officers had attended the pub in the Langney area of Eastbourne after reports of people drinking inside.

This most recent misdemeanour was the third time police had found the pub management to be flouting the rules since December 4.

Sussex Police have not confirmed the name of the establishment.

Covid conspiracist banned from hospitals by Sussex Police

Hannah Dean was banned from all hospitals by Sussex Police

A Covid conspiracy theorist has been banned from hospitals after relentlessly breaching health protection regulations at sites in the South East.

Hannah Dean repeatedly visited hospitals including St Richard’s in Chichester despite the threat of the ongoing pandemic and consequent lockdown restrictions.

She then shared photographs of the sites while claiming they are “empty” and “not under pressure”.

As a result, Sussex Police slapped the 30-year-old with a Community Protection Notice... a police order similar to the now defunct Adbo.

Group performs the Hokey Cokey dance in park

Group performs the Hokey Cokey in a Hastings park

This month, video emerged of a large group doing the Hokey Cokey in a town park.

Police were called to Alexandra Park, Hastings, to reports that a crowd was performing the dance routine.

A clip of the incident has emerged which shows about 40 people singing, with some holding hands.

The group of adults and children run “in and out” while singing “oh, the Hokey Cokey”.

Bizarre excuses for breaking Covid lockdown laws in Sussex

• When caught, rule-breakers have often given some outlandish excuses to justify why they were breaking lockdown rules.
• A hapless pair were slapped with fines after driving to “see the sea” in Sussex despite living in a coastal Hampshire town.
• A driver told officers he had been to a job interview on a building site – despite there being no building site after a check and two men were fined after travelling from London to Hove to buy a pair of headphones.
• A hairdresser continued carrying out home visits despite being told to self-isolate after testing positive for coronavirus.
• On the same weekend, officers stopped a speeding driver from Surrey who claimed he was rushing to reach his business in Brighton, where an alarm was going off. However, the could not provide any details of the premises or an address.
• A man was caught making the 81-mile trip from London to Brighton see the city’s Palace Pier in February.
• And two people, not from the same household, drove from Uckfield to Brighton Marina to go to McDonald’s “because they were hungry”.