Three Wisbech town and Fenland district councillors received written warnings from Cambridgeshire Police for breaching Covid-19 regulations.

Town council leader Samantha Hoy and councillors Steve Tierney were among the three at The Angel public house, Wisbech, on Christmas Eve last year.

They, and a third, were later identified by Cambridgeshire Police following the seizure of CCTV footage.

A decision was made by Cambridgeshire Police not to issue them with a Covid fine but to deal with the matter by a written warning.

Cllr Hoy, however, said: “I have not received a written warning from the police. Ever.”

She says that claims she has breached Covid rules “are false and defamatory”.”

In a statement she said: “I am disappointed that you have not corrected this error despite my request,”

Cambridgeshire Police released a statement which says three Wisbech councillors did receive a written warning from events at the Angel.

They also said no further action was being taken against the three councillors.

One explanation for that, revealed in a Freedom of Information request, was that police did not think it fair to single out known councillors when members of the public, not known, also featured in the CCTV.

Publican Aigars Balsevics, at the time Mayor of Wisbech, was issued with a £1,000 fine under health protection regulations.

A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire Police said: “The designated premises supervisor (the person in charge at that time) was issued with a £1000 fine under health protection regulations.

“No other person was fined for the reasons given, but primarily because our approach at the time was to engage and explain before moving to enforcement. “

Police confirmed that one member of the public also received a formal written warning.

The letter from Cambridgeshire Police – dated February 26 – was signed by Pc1426 Justin Bielawski

He wrote to each of the three councillors and the fourth person that police had received “a third-party complaint to report that you have breached the Health Protection

(Coronavirus Restrictions) regulations 2020.

“It is alleged that you have other persons (not from your household or as part of a permitted bubble) on the 24th December 2020 at the Angel Public House.

“At the time of this allegation Wisbech, Cambridgeshire was subject to government Tier 2 restrictions.

“Amongst other things this placed restrictions on who you could meet up with indoors.

“I have reviewed CCTV footage from the public house and this appears to support the allegation.

Police on this occasion will not be taking any formal action against you for this breach, but I would like to take this opportunity to remind you to keep up to date with current government regulation and guidance, this can be found here: www.gov.uk/coronavirus “

PC Bielawski added: “The decision not to take further action has been made after a thorough consideration of all the facts, including:

“Time passed between event and allegation

“A large number of persons also seen on CCTV suspected to have been breaching regulations, it would not be possible to identity all persons and issue tickets to everyone.


“Police direction at the time to engage and explain, using enforcement as a last resort”

He invited the three councillors to not hesitate get in touch “should you wish to discuss the contents of this letter”.

Blatant breaches of Covid-19 regulations by Cllr Balsevics, at his town centre pub on Christmas Eve led to a premises licence review and later an appeal at which he successful retained the tenancy of the Angel.

However, he is not allowed to be the designated premises supervisor.

Environmental health officers at Fenland Council said the evidence “demonstrates that health and safety and Covid 19 regulations at the Angel were breached on 24 December 2020.”


It says Cllr Balsevics, the designated premises supervisor (DPS) and his staff were “aware and helped to facilitate those breaches.

The Angel in Alexandra Road is an ‘on’ licenced bar/club operating under a premises licence issued by Fenland District Council. The premises licence holder is Elgood & Son Ltd.

Police visited the Angel at around 9pm on December 24 and reported their concerns to Fenland District Council.

CCTV footage was requested and obtained from The Angel Public House covering the afternoon and evening of the December 24, 2020.

Police said they had evidence of customers, staff and the mayor of Wisbech himself “mingling/mixing freely and on many occasions seen having physical contact with each other”.

It included “hugging, kissing, shaking hands and even mock fighting/wrestling”, says the evidence produced by Fenland District Council who issued a licensing review notice for the pub.

Ironically the notice of a review– pinned on the front door of The Angel in Alexander Road, Wisbech – came on the day Covid figures showed Wisbech had one of the worst infection rates in the country.

Wisbech North was revealed as one of the UK’s biggest Covid-19 hotspots after recording the greatest number of cases in the country.

The appeal judgement provided for a licence suspension from three months to one

It also meant Cllr Balsevics did not lose the right to retain a lease on the pub but both he and Elgoods brewery will need to find an alternative Designated Premises Supervisor.

Cllr Tierney has been approached for a response.

Former Tory Mayor and former Wisbech councillor Jonathan Farmer questioned, in a social media post, whether “the leaking of personal information by PC1426 Justin Bielawski to the press constitute a good reason for a complaint to the Independent Police Complaints Commission?

“Yes I think it does."