BEMUSED police officers were faced with some bizarre answers last night as they asked drivers why they were behind the wheel - with people across England urged to stay at home to stop the spread of Covid-19.

As a result, officers carrying out road safety checks in Brighton dished out five Covid fines to people deemed to have breached lockdown rules.

One person told officers: "I just fancied a drive."

However, their outing had taken them all the way from Kent to Brighton.

The Argus: Police in the Horsham area also issued Covid fines while carrying out road safety checksPolice in the Horsham area also issued Covid fines while carrying out road safety checks

Another driver argued that they were dropping a pizza off at a friend's house - 25 miles from their own home.

Both drivers, along with three others who were also spoken to by officers in the Brighton area last night, were issued fines for breaching lockdown restrictions.

The latest government rules state: "You must not leave, or be outside of your home except where necessary.

"You may leave the home to:

  • shop for basic necessities, for you or a vulnerable person
  • go to work, or provide voluntary or charitable services, if you cannot reasonably do so from home
  • exercise with your household (or support bubble) or one other person (in which case you should stay 2m apart). Exercise should be limited to once per day, and you should not travel outside your local area
  • meet your support bubble or childcare bubble where necessary, but only if you are legally permitted to form one
  • seek medical assistance or avoid injury, illness or risk of harm (including domestic abuse)
  • attend education or childcare - for those eligible

"If you do leave home for a permitted reason, you should always stay local - unless it is necessary to go further, for example to go to work.

"Stay local means stay in the village, town, or part of the city where you live."

The officers carrying out road safety checks in Brighton also issued three penalties for speeding and one to a driver who did not have any insurance on their car.

Last night is not the first time people have been caught flouting coronavirus restrictions on the roads in Sussex this week.

On Thursday night, three people were slapped with Covid fines in the Horsham area.

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Officers also issued one traffic offence report that evening after catching a driver who was not wearing their seatbelt.

A Horsham Police spokesman said: "Our roads policing team were out conducting mobile and static road safety checks.

"Most people spoken to were OK, however they did issue one traffic offence report for not wearing a seatbelt and three fines for Covid breaches."