A man has been slapped with a £200 Covid fine after making a 200-mile round trip in his Peugeot to visit his girlfriend.

The man, from Lancashire, travelled all the way to Leicestershire to pick up his partner, before they made their way to a reservoir in neighbouring Derbyshire.

The couple's private moment, on Saturday afternoon, was unfortunately interrupted though, as officers challenged why they were at the reservoir, which closes to the public at 4pm.

A spokesperson for Melbourne and Mercia Safer Neighbourhood Team said: "A man has been fined for making an unpalatable 100-mile-plus non-essential journey from Lancashire to Derbyshire for an encounter with his girlfriend.

"Officers from Melbourne and Mercia Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) came across the courting couple at Staunton Harold Reservoir, near the village of Melbourne today.

"The male decided to make the staggering 200-mile round trip from Lancashire to spend time with his partner, who lives in Leicestershire.

"Having picked her up from her home in Leicestershire, the thoughtless two-some then travelled on to the well-known beauty spot in Derbyshire.

"But their private moment was interrupted when officers challenged why they were at the reservoir, which closes its doors to the public at 4pm.

"Officers informed the pair that their journey was indeed non-essential and they were not in a support bubble– and were then both handed £200 fixed penalty notices."

Current rules around lockdown state that you must not mix with people from other households unless you live alone and have formed a support bubble with another household.

Rules around exercise state that you can travel to take exercise, but must stay local.

For clarity, Leicestershire and Derbyshire are not local to Lancashire.