A group of police officers have been fined £200 each for breaching Covid-19 lockdown rules by eating together in a south London cafe while on duty.
Images of the nine officers, in uniform, enjoying their meal were posted online earlier this month.
They were spotted by a member of the public in The Chef House Kitchen in Greenwich while their patrol vehicles were parked outside.
Under current coronavirus restrictions, cafes and restaurants are only allowed to offer takeaway services.
The officers, members of the South East Basic Command Unit, were issued fixed penalty notices of £200 following an investigation, the Metropolitan Police confirmed on Wednesday.
Brian Jennings, 44, who regularly walks past the cafe, said at the time the officers’ actions seemed hypocritical as he had read in newspapers about rule-breakers being fined by Scotland Yard.
The unit’s commander Chief Superintendent Rob Atkin said his officers had “fallen short” of expectations.
He said in a statement: “Police officers are tasked with enforcing the legislation that has been introduced to stop the spread of the virus and the public rightly expect that they will set an example through their own actions.
“It is disappointing that on this occasion, these officers have fallen short of that expectation.
“It is right that they will pay a financial penalty and that they will be asked to reflect on their choices.”
