Monday September 7th 2020
Two men have been charged following a police investigation into a mass gathering at a rented property in Midlothian.
Officers were called to the Kirkhill Mansion in Gorebridge at 12.20am on Sunday 30th August and discovered around 300 people in attendance.
The group was dispersed and a 29-year-old man was issued with a fixed penalty notice.
Further enquiries have resulted in two men, aged 20 and 29, being arrested and charged in connection with the incident. They are scheduled to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court at a later date and the investigation remains ongoing.
Over the weekend of Friday, 4 September 2020 to Sunday, 6 September 2020, officers attended 391 house gatherings in response to reports of alleged breaches of coronavirus regulations – a 23 per cent increase compared to the previous weekend.
Those attending the house gatherings were given advice, dispersed and 18 fixed penalty notices were issued.
Officers attended 2127 incidents across Scotland over the weekend following reports of noise, public nuisance and disturbance. This is an increase of 449 on the previous weekend last year.
Deputy Chief Constable Malcolm Graham said: “Our approach has been really consistent throughout the course of dealing with this pandemic. We are trying to educate and encourage everybody to comply with the law for the right reasons, we are expecting people to take personal responsibility.
“These figures show that we will intervene, using the powers we have to disperse indoor gatherings which breach the regulations and will enforce where necessary.
“It is important to emphasise we will not tolerate blatant disregard for the current legislation which is in place to help stop the spread of the virus.
“I would reiterate we are asking people to take personal responsibility to do the right thing and remember the purpose of these measures is to aid the collective effort to stay safe, protect others and save lives by preventing the virus from spreading.”
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