A WIRRAL resident was among 20 people caught flouting Covid rules at a Merseyside gym on Saturday night, January 30.

At 10.30pm, officers were dealing with an unrelated incident outside Shred Fast Gym in Long Lane, Aintree, when they were made aware of a gathering of people inside.

As they entered the found 20 people in a studio inside, and Merseyside Police says no one was wearing PPE, while most were not socially distancing.

In total 19 people – who travelled from as far as Billinge, Widnes and Southport – were issued with fixed penalty notices and the business owner has been reported to the local authority as an event organiser.

Chf Supt Matt Boyle, of Merseyside Police, said: "We are currently in a national lockdown which means people should not be leaving their homes for non-essential reasons or meeting up with other people outside their household or support bubble.

"This sort of behaviour is unbelievable and unacceptable.

"I would continue to ask people to please consider their own safety and that of their loved ones. We are all in this together and the laws apply to everyone.

"We all need to do everything we can to protect the NHS and our frontline staff during this deadly pandemic and we will not hesitate to take action when we believe people are flouting the rules."