COVID-19 lockdown breach: Illegal Easter party broken up by emergency services

Emergency services responded to a 999 call reporting revellers flouting the social distancing rule.

Two dozen emergency workers descended upon Stockton, Durham to break up a rumoured Easter party. Lockdown resisters were sent scurrying to their homes after the police broke up the illegal gathering. Witnesses claim that the group had been drinking and parting at the home in Hardwick.

The gathering wasted the time of paramedics as a person needing medical attention refused medical assistance. Even though people all over the United Kingdom had been urged to abide by the COVID-19 lockdown rules,the party goers ignored social distancing.

Residents in High Newham Road saw the area crawling with uniformed police officers. Blue lights lit up the street as nearly two dozen police officers gathered to break up an Easter house party. Witnesses claimed that the 999 call went out around 9 pm on Saturday to inform the authorities about the illegal gathering. Initially, it was also reported that the police arrested a man responsible for the party.

North East Ambulance Service confirmed that they responded to a call around 9:15 pm from the police. The police asked for paramedics to assess an injured person. An ambulance was dispatched and the paramedics arrived to assist the police. However, the injured person refused medical assistance so the paramedics were forced to leave after the uncooperative patient wasted their time.

Claims of a party being broken up and an arrest being made were not confirmed by the police. Teesside Live reported that the police responded to a call about an "unwell man." According to the police, they reached the locality after a man was injured in a street altercation. They also refuted the claims that a man had been arrested on the night.

Six police vehicles and an ambulance had responded to the call. Witnesses pointed out that the police had driven away people from in and around the residence. Even if the crowd had gathered due to the altercation, they were in clear breach of the COVID-19 lockdown regulations. Short term exposure to the novel coronavirus can be enough to get infected.