Police used an angle grinder to cut their way into an illegal lock-in at a football club in tier 3 – after guests lowered the metal shutters and tried to hide in darkness.
West Midlands Police say Walsall Wood FC in the West Midlands have been secretly opening their clubhouse throughout lockdown and have outsmarted officers, who have been trying unsuccessfully to get inside since April.
They finally managed to do so on Saturday, but not without a challenge. When officers arrived at the club at about 7pm, the people inside quickly closed the shutters and turned off the music and lights.
It is thought that attendees saw police arrive on CCTV, which was then deleted.
After it became clear they wouldn’t be able to get inside, officers visited the home of the chairman in an attempt to get access into the building. A spokesperson for WMP said the chairman was “unable to provide addresses of key holders” and denied having his own keys.
With no other options left on the table, officers returned to the club and attempted to cut through a number of padlocks. As they did so, the people inside began chanting, turned on the lights and music and “continued to defiantly party”.
Eventually specialist officers were called in by WMP to assist, cutting open the shutters with an angle grinder and forcing the door open.
Once inside, police issued 17 £200 fixed penalty notices and a £1,000 fine to the organiser, with a review of the club’s license now underway.
Chief inspector Rod Rose, from Walsall Police said: “This was a blatant breach of the current tier 3 restrictions in place in Walsall.
“We believe the club have been flouting the rules throughout the pandemic and have attempted to outsmart us when we’ve previously attended.
“While they may think it’s harmless fun, their actions were reckless and are endangering lives.
“We understand the frustrations of people who are wanting to socialise - especially in the run up to Christmas - but the government restrictions are in place to reduce the spread of the virus and keep people safe.
“We’re committed to doing that in Walsall and I’d urge anyone with any similar concerns to contact us via Live Chat on our website or by call us on 101.”