A HAIRDRESSER continued carrying out home visits despite being told to self-isolate after testing positive for coronavirus.

The Hastings man was one of 45 people to be slapped with fines by Sussex Police for "willfully disregarding" Covid-19 lockdown restrictions over the weekend.

The man, who travelled to people's homes to cut and style their hair in spite of alarmingly high infection rate across the county, has not been named by police.

Officers also stopped a speeding driver from Surrey who claimed he was rushing to reach his business in Brighton, where an alarm was going off.

The Argus: Police patrolling in Crawley during lockdownPolice patrolling in Crawley during lockdown

However, when he could not provide "any legitimate details of the premises or an address" for the site, police deemed he did not have a reasonable excuse for making an essential journey and he was fined.

Superintendent Julia Pope said: "We know this is an extremely difficult time for everyone, however the actions we take and the decisions we make now can help save lives.

"This pandemic has been ongoing for almost a year now, and so we are all familiar with what we should be doing to play our part in stopping the spread of the virus.

"We know the overwhelming majority of people in Sussex are doing the right thing by staying home, wearing masks and social distancing, but unfortunately a small minority of people continue to ignore the rules.

"The restrictions are in place for a reason – any unnecessary contact had with someone is a potential link to a vulnerable person.

"Everyone has a responsibility to make the right decisions.

"It is disappointing that our officers have to take this enforcement action again this weekend against those who are still blatantly breaching the rules as if they do not apply to them.

The Argus: Police patrolling in WorthingPolice patrolling in Worthing

"It’s so important, now as much as ever, that we pull together and do what we need to do to protect our NHS and our communities from the virus."

Sussex Police officers embarked on patrols in areas and communities across the county over the weekend.

The force said officers were "engaging with the public and where necessary urging people to do the right thing by following the restrictions; which are in place to save lives and protect the NHS".