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man has been arrested after more than 30 people gathered for a party on a canal boat in east London in breach of coronavirus lockdown regulations.
Police received reports of a large number of people playing music on a boat on the River Lea between Tottenham Lock and Hackney in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Metropolitan Police officers boarded the boat at around 4.20am after locating it near Hackney Marches.
The force said around 30 people were found on board the boat.
A 31-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of breaching the Health Protection Regulations.
Scotland Yard said the same man was previously reported for consideration of a £10,000 fixed penalty notice for organising a similar gathering less than a fortnight ago.
The force issued 26 fixed penalty notices of £800 for breaking the rules designed to prevent the spread of the virus.
Officers from the Met’s Marine Policing Unit seized music equipment, keys and generators from the boat and the Canal & River Trust has been informed about the incident.
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Chief Inspector Pete Shaw, in charge of Covid policing in east London, said: “It is incredibly disappointing that incidents of this nature continue when the vast majority of Londoners are doing the right thing and making huge sacrifices to stop the virus spreading.
“Each breach of the regulations not only presents a risk to the groups congregating but also to the officers who have to deal with it.
“To have an individual who has repeatedly ignored these regulations and who appears to have organised multiple events is dangerous and indicates a complete disregard for the safety of all involved.
“We need to be doing everything we can as a community to try and keep ourselves, our family and friends as safe as possible and to reduce the pressure on the NHS.”
