Enforcement action taken after private party held at Southampton hotel.

Hampshire Constabulary has reported for summons in relation to a £1,000 fixed penalty notice, the licensee of the Bitterne Park Hotel on Cobden Avenue in Southampton, for breaches of Health Protection Regulations.

At around 7pm on Thursday 24 December we received a report of four people entering the hotel, who appeared to be going to a party. The officers who attended identified a staff only area and observed around 40 people drinking alcohol at tables where they had not been served food and moving freely around the room without masks in contravention of the restrictions in place at the time. The officers engaged with those present and dispersed them before ultimately reporting the licensee for summons in relation to the fixed penalty notice for a blatant breach of the regulations.

We will now carry out work with Southampton City Council to review the license for the premises in light of the breach of the regulations.

PC Mark Hawley from the force’s licensing team said: “This was a blatant breach of the Health Protection Regulations that are in force to keep people safe during the pandemic.

“The guidelines in place around hospitality are clear, it is very disappointing therefore that a private party was held that put everyone attending at risk. We are working with partners, including the city council, to ensure where businesses or individuals breach the regulations, that this is addressed quickly to provide reassurance to the community..

“We hope this sends a message to other businesses that breaching the regulations will be dealt with robustly to ensure everyone’s safety”.