THE latest figures for Lancashire show 1,506 fines have been dished out by officers for a variety of coronavirus rule breaches since March.

Of those, 34 were for breaches of international travel regulations, 42 for refusal to wear a mask in a public setting or on transport and 12 were £10,000 fines for organising gatherings of 30 or more people.

A total of 13 businesses across the county have also been on the receiving end of a fixed penalty notice for breaching rules.

All of the other fines were for general breaches such as being out without a reasonable excuse during the first lockdown, mixing with people outside of a household or bubble and restricted travel into other areas.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council Chairman Martin Hewitt said: ”We will continue to engage with people proportionately, fairly and using common sense. We have produced guidance for forces in line with the new national measures in England which reinforces this approach.

“It is right for officers to be inquisitive about why individuals may be away from home. Those who blatantly ignore the regulations should expect to receive a fixed penalty notice and we’ll target our resources towards those who commit the most serious breaches.”