The first fines issued by police investigating parties Whitehall held during lockdown have reportedly started arriving.
The fixed penalty notices are thought to relate to one of the earliest events under investigation – a leaving do held in the Cabinet Office on June 18 2020 to mark the departure of a private secretary.
The £50 fines are said to have been delivered by email and issued to junior civil servants.
The Metropolitan Police said on Tuesday that investigators were referring 20 notices to the ACRO Criminal Records Office, which is responsible for issuing the penalties.
They made it clear that more fines may be issued as inquiries continue.
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