Priti Patel is set to give police powers to break up ‘super-spreader’ house parties

Home Secretary Priti Patel is set to give police new powers to break up ‘super-spreader’ house parties of more than 15 people. 

Under the new plans, every person attending events of more than 15 would be fined £10,000. 

Currently, those who attend parties of less than 30 can be fined £200 for the first offence and a £10,000 fine for organisers of large gatherings. 

It comes as around 20 officers raided an apartment block in Cheetham Hill, Manchester last night where a 50-person bash was taking place.  

Police raided a house party of 50 at an address in Manchester last night, though it is unclear if anyone was arrested

Home Secretary Priti Patel is set to introduce tougher new laws to punish people who breach lockdown guidelines to go to house parties

Under the new plans, every person attending events of more than 15 would be fined £10,000

Currently, those who attend parties of less than 30 can be fined £200 for the first offence and a £10,000 fine for organisers of large gatherings

Body cam footage showed partygoers escaping from the back entrance as officers moved in.

People were heard laughing as they fled the scene with chaos erupting after revellers were forced onto the street.

Reports say one man was arrested before being released. 

The Home Secretary’s new rules could be brought into force within days and would emulate the ones brought in by Nicola Sturgeon in Scotland. 

The government launched a hard-hitting Covid advertising blitz last week which warns people ‘don’t let a coffee cost lives’ as ministers say police will tackle people flouting the lockdown amid a mass crackdown.

No10 released two new posters, with one showing masked people queuing outside while a caption claims that around one in three people are carrying coronavirus with no symptoms.

The red and yellow ad warns: ‘If you’re getting a takeaway coffee, remember to wash your hands, cover your face and keep your distance’ – before urging people to ‘stay home, protect the NHS and save lives’.

It comes after Priti Patel said police forces have seen ‘dreadful’ breaches of coronavirus regulations, with police breaking up several illegal raves last night including one held on a London roof-top.

People were heard laughing as they fled the scene in Manchester with chaos erupting after revellers were forced onto the street

The Home Secretary’s new rules could be brought into force within days and would emulate the ones brought in by Nicola Sturgeon in Scotland

Body cam footage showed partygoers escaping from the back entrance as officers moved in

Reports say one man was arrested before being released though Greater Manchester Police have yet to comment

Officers in the capital were said to be ‘astounded’ after being called to break up a party at an industrial unit in Southwark, where they found at least 20 revellers on top of the building.

A party of up to 100 people was also broken up by police in a Hertfordshire village, where alcohol was seized. The events were branded ‘completely unacceptable’ by police who issued Covid fines and made several arrests.

Appearing on ITV’s This Morning, Ms Patel said the Government was not intending to make the lockdown tougher – but she underlined there will be harsher enforcement and said police were having to ‘break up some really dreadful situations where people are breaching the rules’. 

‘It is important that we enforce these rules. Your viewers will see more police officers out and about,’ she said. ‘The rules are clear and the majority of the British public are following the rules.’

Pointing to the huge death toll last week, she said most people understood the need to ‘stop the spread of the virus’. ‘The police will continue to issue fines and enforce against people who are flagrantly breaching the rules,’ she said.