Londoners drove to Southend in the middle of the night...only to be slapped with a £300 Covid fine and left with no way of getting home.

A trio of people were fined for breaking Covid restrictions after they drove from the capital to Southend, but were then flagged down on Victoria Avenue at 2.30am for having no insurance.

Their Toyota was then seized by police.

Essex Police revealed how the occupants of the car “could not explain” why they had travelled from London to Southend, and “couldn’t prove their journey was essential.”

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Ron Woodley, deputy leader of Southend Council, slammed the driver and the two passengers. He said: “The fact their car was seized serves them right. Police should have told them to walk home.

“It shows the stupidity of some people.

“First to drive in the middle of the night with three people in the car, and then have no insurance.

“It’s a sad state of affairs. There’s only so much you can say or do.

“Perhaps the fines aren’t large enough to stop people doing it.

“It’s really good police work. I’m so pleased officers stopped them.”

This comes as Southend Council was forced to close its seafront car parks to prevent crowds gathering as England entered its third national lockdown in January.

It then emerged that drivers from as far as Birmingham and Wiltshire were still travelling to the town.

The Echo revealed that drivers from across the Home Counties had also travelled to the seafront, and then appealed the parking fines they had been given.

The drivers were slammed by senior figures at Southend Council, who had been criticised  for closing the seafront car parks.

A spokesman from Essex Police, said: “Officers carried out a routine stop of a Toyota in Victoria Avenue, Southend, shortly after 2.25am on Tuesday February 2.

“When questioned on February 2, the occupants could not explain why they had travelled from London to Southend and could not prove their journey was essential. 

“The driver could not provide sufficient evidence that he was insured and the car was seized. We issued the three occupants with £300 fixed penalty notices for breaching coronavirus travel guidance.  

“Thankfully, the people of Essex have worked with us and the vast majority of the public are following the rules by staying at home and only making essential journeys in order to protect the NHS and save lives.

“We have taken a consistent and commonsense approach throughout the pandemic by firstly engaging with people, explaining the situation and encouraging them to do the right before moving to enforcement.”