A wedding attended by around 400 people at a London school has been broken up by police, with the organiser now facing a £10,000 (€11,000) fine.
The windows of the state-funded Yesodey Hatorah Senior Girls’ School in Stamford Hill had been covered to stop people seeing in when officers arrived on Thursday night.
Around 400 people had gathered inside the building for a wedding in breach of Covid-19 regulations, police said.
Many of the guests fled as officers arrived at the Orthodox Jewish school but the force said the organiser will be reported for consideration of a £10,000 fine, while five others were handed £200 fixed-penalty notices.
Det Chief Supt Marcus Barnett said: “This was a completely unacceptable breach of the law, which is very clearly in place to save lives and protect the NHS.
“An NHS that is under considerable pressure at a time when Covid-19 has killed nearly 100,000 people.
“This is a deadly and very dangerous disease. We can all see that and we must act responsibly.
“People across the country are making sacrifices by cancelling or postponing weddings and other celebrations and there is no excuse for this type of behaviour.
“My officers are working tirelessly with the community and we will not hesitate to take enforcement action if that is required to keep people safe.”
The school has previously been criticised for removing references to homosexuality and women socialising with men from a textbook.
Under current lockdown rules in England, weddings and civil partnerships can only take place with up to six people.
UK government guidance states they should only go ahead in exceptional circumstances, such as where one partner is seriously ill.
Elsewhere, police said the owner of a makeshift nail salon operating from a garden outbuilding in Croydon, south London, is facing a £1,000 fine, while two women found having treatments there on Monday could get £200 fixed-penalty notices.
Police in London also gave penalties to seven people who had gathered to watch television and eat together at a home in Romford.
