A man who drove 30 miles from Chalfont St Giles to Surrey to pick up a takeaway during lockdown has been issued with a fixed penalty notice (FPN) for breaching Covid-19 regulations.

The man, who police has not named, was stopped after “driving erratically” in Walton town centre.

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Surrey Police said he explained he lived in Chalfont St Giles, more than 30 miles away, and had gone out for a drive and to buy a takeaway – believed to be fried chicken.

He was handed a £200 fine.

Under current government Covid-19 regulations in England, people can be fined £200 for the for the first offence, lowered to £100 if paid within 14 days, £400 for the second offence and then doubling for each further offence up to a maximum of £6,400.

It comes after two friends from Bucks were fined after they travelled to view a second-hand car in Coventry, and two people from Aylesbury were fined a total of £1,064 after they attended an illegal rave in Wales last year.

Almost 1,000 fines have been handed out by police for breaches of Covid-19 laws in the Thames Valley since they came into force, according to data published by the National Police Chiefs Council.

A total of 965 FPNs were issued by Thames Valley Police between March 27 and December 20.