COVID-19 rule-breakers in Sussex were fined more than £13,000 last year - and the majority of those convicted were men.

Ministry of Justice data shows that in 2020, there were 74 court prosecutions in the county for breaches of restrictions introduced at the beginning of the pandemic.

They resulted in 67 convictions, with most leading to fines.

The figures also show men were far more likely to be convicted of breaching Covid laws.

In 57 of the 67 convictions where the sex and age were recorded, the defendant was a man, while people aged between 25 and 29 accounted for the largest proportion of convictions.

In total, £13,589 in fines were issued by the courts in Sussex.

The Argus: Two people who were moved on by police after lighting a barbecue on the beach in Hove on April 4 last year, just under two weeks after lockdown was introducedTwo people who were moved on by police after lighting a barbecue on the beach in Hove on April 4 last year, just under two weeks after lockdown was introduced

Across England and Wales, 81 per cent of the 4,365 prosecutions against people for breaching coronavirus laws in 2020 resulted in convictions.

A total of £1.3 million in fines were issued, but not one conviction led to the maximum fine of £10,000.

The figures come amid criticism of the enforcement of coronavirus restrictions, in particular the use of a fast-track system, which sees cases dealt with by a legal adviser and a single magistrate out of court.

This process, known as the single justice procedure, is aimed at reducing paperwork and freeing up court time. But in a report, the Joint Committee on Human Rights, MPs and peers said it meant defendants were unable provide any reasonable excuse for why they breached the law.

More than 1,000 defendants were tried for Covid offences using this fast-track process between July and September last year, the committee said.

Campaign groups including Fair Trials and Transform Justice have since sent a letter to the government calling for the practice to be stopped.

The Argus: Students at the University of Sussex held a Halloween party during the second national lockdown in November 2020Students at the University of Sussex held a Halloween party during the second national lockdown in November 2020

Griff Ferris, legal and policy officer at Fair Trials, a criminal justice watchdog, said it was unjust for people to be criminalised and fined by an "opaque and unchecked process behind closed doors”.

He added: “The single justice procedure is rushed justice, on the cheap, and it is completely inappropriate for assessing charges under confusing lockdown laws.”

The MoJ said the decision to use the single justice procedure lay with the prosecutor.

A spokesman said: "The single justice procedure allows those who plead guilty to low-level, non-imprisonable crimes to resolve their case without going to court – it would not be used for more serious offences.

"All defendants can request an open hearing and have their conviction voiced and reheard if necessary."