Police Scotland officers slam 'blatant disregard' for Covid-19 coronavirus safety rules after being called out to 405 house parties across Scotland at the weekend

ILLEGAL house parties sparked hundreds of call-outs for the police across Scotland at the weekend.

Police Scotland has hit out at the "blatant disregard" being shown for coronavirus safety legislation – amid concerns that rising infection numbers could prompt a second wave of the deadly virus.

"Our officers responded to 405 house parties across the country following reports of alleged breaches of coronavirus regulations this weekend," said a spokesman.

"Six people were arrested and one fixed penalty notice was issued. The others attending the house parties were given suitable advice and were dispersed at incidents between Friday, 11 September, and Sunday, 13 September."

There was also a marked increase in reports of noise, public nuisance and disturbance across the country – with officers responding to 1852 separate incidents, a figure that was up 41 per cent when compared to the same weekend last year.

DCC Malcolm Graham said the force "will not tolerate" those who flout Covid-19 rules and put other people's lives at risk.

He said: "The figures from this weekend show that we will use the powers we have to disperse parties which breach the regulations and will enforce where necessary. We will not tolerate blatant disregard for the legislation which is there to help stop the spread of the virus."

DCC Graham also hit out at the actions of those who assaulted officers who were trying to disperse mass gatherings. He was speaking after two officers were allegedly assaulted in Edinburgh over the weekend.

"Our officers find themselves dealing with situations on a daily basis to protect the people and communities we serve, and are trained to a high level to deal with violent and confrontational situations. However, being assaulted is not simply part of the job and it cannot be tolerated.”

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