Hiding in cupboards\, eating KFC - cops reveal \'blatant\' rule breaking

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Hiding in cupboards, eating KFC - cops reveal 'blatant' rule breaking

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Police are finding Victorians hiding in cupboards and garages, playing Pokemon and eating KFC in blatant flaunting of the state’s stage three restrictions.

Deputy Commissioner Rick Nugent pleaded with people to follow the rules imposed to stop the spread of COVID-19 after revealing more than 500 fines, totalling more than $880,000, have been issued to people caught gathering together or being away from home for the wrong reasons.

Police doing stop checks in Melbourne on Friday.Credit:Jason South

They include a person who refused to leave the Dandenong KFC restaurant and continued eating his meal.

"Clearly KFC is popular during this lockdown," Mr Nugent said on Tuesday.

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Owners of short-term rental properties who allow parties to occur also face fines, with police being called to a string of large gatherings over the past week.

They include 34 people fined for a party at a short-term rental in La Trobe Street in the CBD last Thursday night. The owner was this week issued a penalty notice for permitting the party to occur, Mr Nugent said.

Two massage parlours have also been stung $10,000 each and 40 clients fined $1652 each after being caught visiting sex work premises during the latest lockdown.

Mr Nugent said others fined included friends found driving around playing Pokemon Go.

"We ask please, to the community, abide by the restrictions, support the work that is being done to address this health emergency," Mr Nugent said.

"The time for discretion is over, any blatant deliberate breach of the restrictions will result in an infringement notice being issued.

"Of particular concern for us is the ongoing parties and gatherings. People playing poker, people holding parties. We are finding people in cupboards, we are finding people in garages. Please stop."

At checkpoints surrounding metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire, police have checked more than 85,000 vehicles trying to travel into rural and regional parts of the state.

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Mr Nugent said of those checked, 151 motorists had been fined for breaching stay-at-home directions.

"The most common reason was going to visit family and friends, associates and overnight stays," he said.

"Clearly they are not permitted under the Chief Health Officer's directions and we will continue to enforce that."

A Victoria Police spokeswoman said 110,507 spot checks have been conducted since March 21.

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