70 fines issued after illegal nightclub discovered in Birmingham

Police officers were pelted with bottles when they raided the makeshift nightclub.

Police in the UK issued 70 fines after discovering an illegal nightclub in Birmingham in the early hours of Sunday morning (14 January). Footage showed approximately 150 people at the party, who were all breaking lockdown guidelines. When breaking up the party, police officers were pelted with bottles by those in attendance. One police officer suffered injuries as a result. https://twitter.com/WMPolice/status/1361387937590575105?s=20 West Midlands Police said they had received information that part of a building on Buckingham Street had been turned into a bar. After witnessing taxis drop people off at the venue on Saturday night, officers forced their way inside to find 150 people packed into the building across two floors. As well as the bar, which had neon signs and a dance room, officers came across a recording studio and gym. One sign in the bar showed that that the venue had been renamed as 'The Covid Arms'. 50 people escaped without receiving a fine, while 70 people will have to pay £200 for being there. Assistant Chief Constable Chris Todd said: "Our officers continue to work long and hard to protect the public and reduce the spread of this deadly virus by breaking up these gatherings, often in really difficult circumstances. "It’s unacceptable that our officers came under attack, and that one suffered a minor injury, just for doing their job and enforcing laws that are in place to keep us all safe. "While there’s much to be hopeful of in terms of the rollout of coronavirus vaccines, people must remember that we are still in lockdown and the virus is still a real threat to communities across the West Midlands."