A Speke gym ‘falsely imprisoned’ users to avoid police catching them breaking lockdown rules.
Officers from Merseyside Police swooped on Prophecy Performance Centre in Gaskill Road at 1pm last Sunday following a tip-off over lockdown breaches.
Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service were called to investigate potential fire safety regulation breaches after discovering that the door had been locked.
The gym was later discovered to have padlocked shut all of its fire doors.
More than 50 people were handed fixed penalty notices in the raid while a further 10 vehicles parked illegally outside the premises received fines.
A 24-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman were also arrested on suspicion of false imprisonment amid claims users had been prevented from leaving.
Police closed the gym with immediate effect with a fire safety inspection taking place on Monday.
Deputy Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said: “The incident in Speke today shows that we won’t hesitate to work with our partners to take robust action against businesses on Merseyside who continue to flout Covid restrictions.
“By continuing to operate, the owners of this gym were putting themselves, and their customers, at risk of catching and spreading Covid at a time when we all need to work together and follow the rules to tackle this deadly virus.
“While we know that this pandemic has been really tough for businesses that have been forced to close, it is only by adhering to the rules that we will be able to put a stop to this pandemic and hopefully see a return to normality more quickly.
“Officers will continue to respond to potential COVID-19 legislation breaches across Merseyside to ensure Public Health and Government guidance is being adhered to, and is for the safety of all residents and business owners.”
If you have information on criminality, anti-social behaviour or events and gatherings planned illegally, you can contact @MerPolCC or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.