A Wiltshiree premises has been slapped with a £1,000 fine for breaking Covid rules on New Year’s Eve.

Wiltshire Council has handed out its first fixed penalty notice to a licensed premises in Trowbridge for failing to comply with Covid regulations.

The business – which the council has refused to name – was visited by Wiltshire Police on New Year’s Eve, where they found a small group of people having a private party.

Previously, the premise was issued both written and verbal warnings for non-compliance with Covid-19 guidance.

Evidence collected by officers was then shared with the council’s licencing team, who issued the fine under the coronavirus regulations for failing to close – as was required at the time when Wiltshire was in Tier 3.

A spokesman for the council said they have spoken with the licensee, who has admitted the offence.

Leader of the council, Philip Whitehead said: “Of course, issuing fixed penalty notices to Wiltshire businesses for breaches of Covid legislation is not something we want to do, and it is a last resort.

Cllr Whitehead added that the local authority will always try to talk with businesses that have breached the rules but it would not hesitate to hand out fines for repeat offenders.

“This case highlights the excellent partnership working between our officers and Wiltshire Police, and I would like to pay tribute to the officers of both organisations for their collaboration in these challenging times,” he said.