Derbyshire police have issued more than 300 coronavirus fines since last March

Home Secretary Priti Patel defended the policing of lockdown breaches across the country, warning that officers ‘will not hesitate’ to take action to safeguard the national recovery effort.

Data published by the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) shows a total of 301 fixed penalty notices (FPNs) were issued by Derbyshire Constabulary between March 27 and December 20.

Of these, 254 were issued for breaches of coronavirus laws brought in during the first few months of the pandemic, five were linked to the tiered alert system introduced in October, and 20 to the national lockdown which began in November.

Police forces across England and Wales have issued 32,329 FPNs since March, though the NPCC said there had been a downward trend in recent weeks.

The peak occurred during the Easter bank holiday in April, with 3,288 handed out that week.

By contrast, the most recently weekly figures showed 542 tickets were handed out in the week to December 17, compared to 821 in the previous seven days.

Ms Patel said: “The vast majority of the public have supported this huge national effort and followed the rules.

“But the tragic number of new cases and deaths this week shows there is still a need for strong enforcement where people are clearly breaking these rules to ensure we safeguard our country’s recovery from this deadly virus.”

Of the fines in Derbyshire, there were two for failing to wear a face covering when required, and one for breaching international travel rules.

There were also three for breaking business regulations and two for gatherings held of more than 30 people.

Martin Hewitt, NPCC chairman, said enforcement shouldn’t always equal police involvement or a fine being handed out.

He added: “It is right for officers to be inquisitive about why individuals may be away from home.

“Those who blatantly ignore the regulations should expect to receive a fixed penalty notice, and we’ll target our resources towards those who commit the most serious breaches and put others at risk through their behaviour.”

Preliminary crime figures also published by the NPCC showed that total crime in England and Wales was down 12 per cent in November last year.