More than 1,500 businesses across Bath and North East have been checked in the past week to ensure they are complying with new lockdown restrictions.

Public Protection Officers from Bath & North East Somerset Council have checked 1543 businesses and have found the vast majority are adhering to the rules, with just with just 27 found to be non-compliant and issued with advice.

Councillor Paul Crossley, cabinet member for Community Services said: "Lockdown is designed to drive down Covid-19 transmission rates and, if we are to succeed, its essential everyone sticks to the rules. We have ten Public Protection Officers across the district checking businesses, advising traders and responding to complaints from residents and I'm pleased to say the overwhelming majority of businesses are taking their responsibilities seriously.

"So far a very small proportion, less than two per cent of the businesses we've checked, have been found to be operating outside the rules. We've spoken to them, advised them and they've taken action. We'll continue to monitor and advise traders over the coming weeks."

The council's Public Protection team is working hard to keep residents safe during the pandemic. They provide a wide range of services from advising and assisting businesses to comply with the latest restrictions, enforcing health and safety rules to ensure businesses are COVID-secure, helping providers of food to the elderly and vulnerable to comply with food hygiene regulations to checking that PPE on sale to the general public is legally compliant.

The Public Protection team is supported in Bath city centre by Covid Safety Officers who work with residents and businesses to promote social distancing, encourage compliance with coronavirus public health measures and explain the guidelines to people out and about in the city.

The lockdown restrictions, designed to help stop the spread of Covid-19, came into force on Thursday 5 November and will be in place until Wednesday 2 December.

Under the restrictions:

-some traders selling essential goods are allowed to open

-some traders are prohibited from opening their premises to the public

-some traders are allowed to operate take away, click and collect or delivery services.

- all premises open to the public must be Covid secure

Traders who persistently fail to comply with the regulations can be subject to enforcement action including:

-the issuing of a Prohibition Notice which sets out what a business must do to comply with the rules. Failure to comply with a Prohibition Notice is a criminal offence and could result in an unlimited fine.

- a fixed penalty notice of £1000 (escalating to £10,000 for subsequent/ongoing breaches)

- prosecution – as a criminal offence with an unlimited fine upon conviction.

If you spot a breach of coronavirus regulations you can let us know by calling 01225 396759 or by emailing [email protected]