7 of the most pathetic reasons for breaking UK lockdown rules

While the majority of people are obeying the instruction to stay at home and save lives, others have been out and about for a variety of non-essential reasons.

We asked our sister papers across the country for examples of people caught out by police for breaking the rules, and there have been many.

Some of them are foolish, some are irresponsible and some are downright bizarre. All are unneccesary.  

Here are seven of the most unusual, as seen by police.

In the dog house 

Officers in Cumbria stopped one vehicle that had travelled through Cumbria to collect a puppy.

Police tweeted: "Non-essential reasons for travel, Pitlochry to Wakefield via Cumbria to pickup up a puppy.

"One of many stop checks this morning to check the necessity of travel.

"Please - Stay Home, Save the NHS, Save Lives."

Pokemon Stop 

A dad and his son were stopped by police this week after driving around hunting for Pokémon.

Police were out in Oxfordshire cracking down on non-essential journeys by asking drivers where they were going.

And as well as the pair out hunting fictional creatures, officers said they stopped at least 30 people who could have been given a ticket under the new coronavirus act.

This included two lads who just had to drive  the best part of 100 miles to try out a skate park.

A window into their lives

A driver in the north west was given a penalty notice by police for taking a 110-mile journey with his wife in the boot of his car.

North West Motorway Police said they had travelled from Coventry to Salford to collect a £15 eBay purchase of windows.

His wife could not fit in the vehicle so she was travelling in the boot for the return journey when stopped on the M6 in Cheshire.

The driver was given a ticket for the offence, according to police.

Wash your mouth out 

A dog walker who decided it would be a good idea to get his car washed has been fined for breaking the lockdown rules in Cumbria

To make matters worse, when challenged the man told a police officer to ‘do one’.

PC Kev Latham (pictured), a Barrow police dog handler, was driving when he spotted a man washing his car at a petrol station.

PC Latham quizzed the motorist and was shocked by the response.

Paint me a picture (of an unnecessary journey) 

Police in Dorset published a list of some of the excuses officers were given by people out the house when they weren’t meant to be.

When questioning people on the beach, someone told the officers: “We are just tidying our beach hut as exercise.”

Someone else said: “I need to paint my beach hut.”

While another person said: “I don’t have a garden.”

Someone police spoke to said: “I am out for health and safety reasons, to check on the sea for fishing tomorrow.”

A questionable meat-up 

A group of friends were discovered in a beauty spot - having broken social distancing ban for a Shisha and kebab session.

More than half a dozen people were taking part in a picnic, smoking shisha pipes and eating kebabs when they were approached by cops, who gave them a stern warning and sent them home.

The individuals had travelled hundreds of miles from Manchester, Sheffield and Ipswich to meet at Snake Pass in the Peak District.

Jet back indoors, please sir

A DRIVER was fined after driving to the coast and heading out on his jet ski for an hour.

The man was stopped by Dorset Police’s No Excuse team while his wife and children watched on from within the car at Poole Harbour.

When directed to stop, the jet skier did but then reportedly wouldn’t listen to advice given.

He was fined £60 which would be reduced to £30 if paid within 14 days.

Dorset Police No Excuse said: “He wasn't thinking of the effect he would have if for example he crashed and the extra pressure this would bring on the RNLI and the NHS.

“After explaining several times, we now believe he understands.

“The law has changed. Essential journeys only these are challenging times for us all.”

Another officer stopped a motorist who said: "I'm going to pick up a metal bar for my house so I can exercise at home. I purchased it on Facebook.”

Someone else said: "I'm driving 10 to 12 miles for my favourite walk."