Students flouted lockdown rules to drive 265 miles from Surrey to Cornwall for a seaside trip.
The couple, in their 20s, told police they thought the trip to St Ives was “essential”, on Friday
Both of them got a £60 fine for breaking the rules – and were sent home after just an hour.
A spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall Police said: “From Surrey to St Ives for an hour!
“Our officers attended the pier in St Ives where a couple had been spotted by concerned residents.
“It transpired that the couple had driven 265 miles from Surrey for a day trip due to forthcoming exam pressure and thought their trip essential.
“Both were issued with Covid 19 Penalty notices and immediately decided to cut their outing short and return home.
“All in all a very long 530 mile round trip for an hour by the sea.”
Lockdown restrictions
More than four in five Britons are against lockdown restrictions being eased for schools, pubs and restaurants this week, a poll suggests.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the country had passed the peak of Covid-19 infections and he would be setting out a “road map” for easing measures in the near future.
But only 17% of those polled thought the time was right to consider re-opening schools, with smaller proportions of people thinking conditions had been met to allow cinemas, sporting stadia and nightclubs to open their doors.
The Opinium poll for the Observer questioned 2,000 adults between Wednesday and Friday and showed 79% of people were continuing to follow lockdown restrictions into their sixth week.
Related – Guidelines on visiting countryside during lockdown ‘hugely unhelpful’