A DUDLEY fast food takeaway has been fined for breaching the 10pm coronavirus closure order.

The owners of The Chicken Hut in Castle Street have been hit with a £1,000 fine for breaching the new regulations which limit businesses selling food and drink to a 10pm closure time.

West Midlands Police have said the eaterie had a number of customers waiting to be served at 10.30pm on Friday night (October 9) - which meant the restaurant was in breach of the early closure order.

The business was one of a number hit with fines over the weekend for flouting Covid-19 restrictions. The owner of the Kasablanca Shisha Lounge in Birmingham was also hit with a £10,000 fine on Friday October 9 after 250 people were found inside the premises which officers entered on September 30 following reports of loud music.

A fine was also issued at premises in Walsall after an illegal rave was broken up in September after it was discovered on Phoenix Business Park by officers on patrol.

Police say they have stepped up efforts to enforce coronavirus regulations to try to help control the spread of the virus and they have vowed to focus on the areas with the highest infection rate and the lowest compliance.

Superintendent Rich Harris, of West Midlands Police, said: “This was a really busy weekend for us with people continuing to flout the rules across the force.

“We are still following our four ‘e’s approach, however we will enforce these fines when it is obvious people are so blatantly ignoring the restrictions.

“Businesses have a responsibility not only to their customers and their staff but to the wider community and there must be consequences when Covid-19 guidance is simply ignored.

“Everyone has a part to play in reducing the spread of coronavirus, and no one is above the law when it comes to that.

“We understand that some of the regulations are confusing and we will be explaining where we find breaches, but if people continually flout these measures, we will not hesitate to take action.”