Four people from Leeds reported after driving 70 miles to 'look at a car'

The four occupants had driven all the way from Leeds to Scarborough to have a look at a car one of them wanted to buy, according to North Yorkshire police traffic cop Mark Patterson.

It happened yesterday evening (Sunday).

All the people in the Volkswagen Golf were reported for breaching coronavirus regulations.

The roads policing officer tweeted: "The four occupants of this car had apparently driven from Leeds to Scarborough to look at a car that one of them wanted to buy.

"This is not an essential journey and they were all reported for breaching Covid-19 regulations."

Last month, lockdown breakers who travelled from Leeds to North Yorkshire were reported to police after their car got stuck in floodwater.

And more than 60 cars were stopped last weekend on a road in Calverley in a police traffic operation to ensure people are only travelling for essential purposes.

The current Government guidance is that 'you must stay at home' and this is the law.

You must not leave or be outside of your home except where necessary, which includes only travelling outside of your home when it is essential and you have a 'reasonable excuse'.

The police can take action against you if you leave home without a ‘reasonable excuse’, and issue you with a fine (Fixed Penalty Notice).

You can be given a Fixed Penalty Notice of £200 for the first offence, doubling for further offences up to a maximum of £6,400.

What is a 'reasonable excuse' and classed as essential travel during lockdown?

- shopping for basic necessities for you or a vulnerable person or someone who is self-isolating

- going to work or to provide voluntary or charitable services if you cannot reasonably do so from home

- seeking medical assistance or avoiding injury, illness or risk of harm (including domestic abuse)

- attending education or childcare, for those who are eligible (colleges, primary and secondary schools remain open only for vulnerable children and the children of critical workers and early years settings remain open)

- for exercise, as long as you do not travel outside your local area

If you do leave home for one of the permitted reasons, you should always stay in your local area unless it is necessary to go further, for example for work.

The Government website also gives more details on leaving home for essential reasons, including for:

- relevant maternity needs

- compassionate visits to someone who is dying

- for animal welfare reasons such as vet appointments

- communal worship, to attend a funeral or to attend a wedding ceremony (following legal number limits on attendance)

- to visit a burial ground

- to fulfil legal obligations

- to carry out activities related to buying, selling or letting a property

Is travelling for exercise classed as essential?

You should not travel outside of your local area for exercise.

This means you should stay in the village, town, or part of the city where you live to exercise.

Exercise should be limited to once per day.

You can exercise with your household, or legally permitted support bubble, or with one other person.

If exercising with someone outside of your household or support bubble, you should stay two metres apart.

You cannot leave home to meet socially with anyone you do not live with or are not in a legally permitted support bubble with.

Who does the essential travel guidance apply to?

This guidance is the law, but there is additional guidance for households with a possible or confirmed case of coronavirus.

Anyone with Covid symptoms or a positive test result must stay at home for the full isolation period. This is because they could pass it on to others, even if they don’t have symptoms. The whole household must isolate for the full period too.

If you are clinically extremely vulnerable you are advised to follow shielding guidance. It is recommended that you do not attend work, school, college or university and you should limit the time you spend outside the home. You should only go out for medical appointments, exercise or if it is essential.