THREE Covid lockdown idiots have been fined after driving 200 miles to Essex for a boat trip – before needing to be rescued.
The men drove from Staffordshire to Southend-on-Sea on Sunday, and then tried to cross an estuary in a small boat to reach the Red Sands Sea Forts.
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They had to be rescued from their rigid inflatable boat by the Coastguard as they get into trouble in the Thames Estuary.
Cops said the men broke strict lockdown rules banning outdoor gatherings of more than two people, designed to stop the spread of Covid.
They were taken to Sheerness Docks in Kent, before telling cops they had planned to stay at the offshore fort for the night.
More than 200 fines were given out in Kent over the weekend to Covid rule breakers.
A man was stopped at the Port of Dover at 1.45am on Saturday, telling cops he wanted to go on holiday to Hungary.
He was told to go home, only to be caught back at the port just hours later.
Two parties were broken up, while a man who had previously been fined for going out after testing positive for the virus was fined again for visiting a shop.
Assistant Chief Constable Claire Nix said the breaches were "incredibly frustrating".
She said: "While the vast majority of people continue to abide by the latest government guidelines to help stop the spread of the virus, it is incredibly frustrating that there are still a small minority who think the rules don't apply to them.
"We have seen examples of people who are not only behaving selfishly, but also putting unnecessary strain on the emergency services with their reckless actions.
"Whilst I understand the desire we all have to return to normality, we are still in a critical time and it is important to do the right thing, follow the guidelines, save lives and protect the NHS.
"Preventing the spread of the virus is a shared effort and all members of the public need to take personal responsibility."
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