A POLICE boss has vowed to continue challenging rule-breakers after officer across the county attended over 300 coronavirus-related incidents over the weekend.

Deputy Chief Constable Terry Woods revealed that 68 people in Lancashire were fined on Friday, Saturday and Sunday after officers were called out to 333 separate covid-19 incidents.

Among those were 23 people who received fines after they were found socialising inside a shisha café in Blackburn, several who attended house parties and gatherings and more who refused to self-isolate after returning from abroad.

Two people were also arrested at a protest.

DCC Woods said: “Police logged 333 COVID incidents and issued 68 fines Including people not isolating after being abroad, house parties, shisha cafe where 23 people fined and a protest with two arrests.

“We will continue to challenge this minority to support the silent majority.”

On Tuesday, officers in Nelson revealed that seven people had been fined £200 each after complaints were received about a house party in the town.

Once they arrived officers found and fined four men and three women. A spokesman said: “police spokesman said: “As you will be aware the country is in a national lockdown as we all try to do our bit to try to halt the spread of the Coronavirus.

“Sadly, this was not the case for some in the East of the county who decided that the rules didn’t apply to them.

“While the vast majority of the community are doing their bit to try and keep the coronavirus infection rate as low as possible, there is a minority who are putting the health and safety of others at risk by acting in a selfish and reckless manner.”

Since the start of the pandemic, Lancashire has often topped the national fines charts – at one point claiming the title of the place where the most fines had been issued to people refusing to self-isolate when returning from holiday.

Thirteen holidaymakers had been slapped with a fixed penalty notice after they flouted rules put in place to stop those entering the UK from spreading the coronavirus, figures released last month revealed.

The 13 fines dished out across Lancashire up to September 22 were significantly higher than anywhere else in the country, accounting for more than a third of the total number of fines, 38, dished out nationally.

Data released at the end of October also showed that outside of London, the place where the most people have been fined for holding illegal large gatherings is Lancashire.

Presently, Blackburn with Darwen has the third coronavirus infection rate in all of England.