Police officers shut down a wedding with more than 100 guests and sent everyone home to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
The bride and groom’s ceremony and celebration went ahead at a hotel even though the Government had told Britons to stay home and not to gather in large numbers.
The party came to an abrupt end after officers were called to the Bank of Fleet Hotel in Gatehouse of Fleet, Scotland, the Daily Record reported.
Police explained the latest social distancing guidelines and the newlyweds decided agreed to halt the event and send their guests home.
A police spokesman said: “Police visited a number of licensed premises on Saturday following Government guidelines for them to close.
“One of the premises in Gatehouse of Fleet had a wedding ongoing.
“Officers advised of the guidelines and the family took the decision to stop the event and send the guests home.”
News of the police visit spread on social media, where locals angrily criticised the newlyweds and the hotel for allowing the wedding to go ahead with so many guests.
One woman wrote: “They are not only putting their staff at risk and the wedding party at risk, they are putting the whole community, the whole county at risk. Why?
“I’m sure everyone involved did not mean any harm.
“They just didn’t think through the potential risks involved.”
Chief medical officer Catherine Calderwood said: “It’s very difficult to talk to people about not socialising, about not having wedding receptions.
“One person at one of these events may actually have the opportunity to pass the virus to many, many others.”
