A salsa dance group were spotted appearing to break lockdown rules to hold a dance class in a London park – but they escaped possibly being fined when the police didn’t turn up.
A shocked passerby spotted the group of around ten people playing music and dancing without wearing masks.
The dancers at point even paired up to hold each other as they practised their moves in Battersea Park.
But despite Met Police being alerted to the possible breach of Covid restrictions, the group later walked off without fines after officers failed to show up.
Passerby Andrea, who captured the scenes, said she was ‘shocked’ by the dancers who appeared to be openly flouting lockdown rules.
She said: ‘I was just shocked that they were less than two metres from each other.
‘Nobody was wearing a mask. When you’re dancing you talk loudly, you breathe [heavily].’
‘These are the spreaders,’ she added.
Andrea said she and a friend had been on a walk but stopped to take in the scenes for around 15 minutes, at which point the dancing did not stop on Sunday night.
A salsa dance group were spotted appearing to break lockdown rules to hold a dance class in a Battersea Park, south London – but they escaped possibly being fined when the police didn’t turn up
In the video, at least five couples can be seen holding each other as crowds of people gather around the bandstand to watch them dance as music blasts from a speaker.
It is not clear if each couple is from the same household.
According to lockdown rules, you can meet one other person from a different household outside for exercise, but you must remain two metres apart.
Government rules stipulate: ‘You may exercise on your own, with one other person, or with your household or support bubble. This should be limited to once per day, and you should not travel outside your local area.
‘You cannot meet other people you do not live with, or have not formed a support bubble with, unless for a permitted reason.
‘Stay two metres apart from anyone not in your household or support bubble.’
Wandsworth Council said parks police were not alerted to the group, who seemingly were allowed to carry on their dancing.
A spokesperson for the Council said all events in the park are banned.
A Met Police spokesman said: ‘We were made aware but it looks like officers didn’t attend. It may be the case that officers in the Battersea area were busy dealing with other incidents.’
They added: ‘No action was taken and no FPNs (fixed penalty notices) were given.’
It comes as another group of people in Hampshire were fined a total of £2,000 after police caught them having a birthday party in the early hours.
Officers arrived at an address in the centre of Southampton to find presents being exchanged at around 4.30am.
In Wrexham, a group of men were caught by police enjoying a golf on a closed course. Three men were reported to police on Saturday, February 27, after they were seen playing nine holes at Moss Valley Golf Club.
Each partygoer was reported for summons and slapped with £200 fixed penalty notices for breaching current lockdown restrictions.
A spokesperson for Hampshire Constabulary said: ‘It’s incidents like this that place increased and unnecessary pressure on the NHS. Anyone who does not follow the regulations faces enforcement action.’
And in Wrexham, a group of men were caught by police enjoying a golf on a closed course.
Three men were reported to police on Saturday, February 27, after they were seen playing nine holes at Moss Valley Golf Club.
The golf club is currently closed to members and the public as a result of the lockdown.
Two police cars were seen attending the green, before one of the men was arrested and, according to a witness, was put in handcuffs.
North Wales Police said they were all reported for flouting the rules, before being moved on.
Speaking to North Wales Live, a club member who wanted to remain anonymous, said: ‘When I got down to the car park, the police had one of them in handcuffs.
‘The police had been called by some resident nearby.
Two police cars were seen attending the green, before one of the men was arrested and, according to a witness, was put in handcuffs
‘They had clubs with them. They never had a bag. They just carried their clubs singly. They played nine holes.’
The member said it was not the first time they’ve had reports of people illegally accessing the golf course during lockdown.
Last summer, some were reported to have had barbecues on one of the greens, with claims others had removed wooden fencing from the car park to access the locked grounds to take their dogs walking.
The anonymous member added: ‘It’s annoying because our members aren’t even allowed to exercise on their own there at the moment.
‘Our senior section, who are from about 80 up to 89, who have been itching to just go and do a bottom loop just to do some exercise, are not even able to do that.
‘So to see people sneaking on to the course and actually going to play is frustrating.
A spokesman for North Wales Police, said: ‘Three men were reported for breaches at Moss Valley.
‘One was arrested and they were sent on their way after being reported.’