ORGANISERS of unlicensed music events in Wales will risk being hit with a £10,000 fixed penalty notice, as part of tougher measures to prevent such gatherings.

Coronavirus regulations are being amended from tomorrow to ban the organising of an unlicensed music event of more than 30 people.

These are events that are not licensed or otherwise authorised under the Licensing Act 2003.

The hefty fixed penalty will be an alternative to a conviction and an unlimited fine.

The move follows discussions between the Welsh Government, police forces, and police and crime commissioners, and it provides police in Wales with broadly equivalent powers to those being introduced at the same time in England.

The police will still utilise the four Es approach - Engage, Explain, Encourage, Enforce - in acting proportionately.

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“Illegal gatherings put people’s health needlessly at risk. The changes to the regulations we are introducing give the police new powers to stop these events taking place," said health minister Vaughan Gething.

“The unlimited fine or significant fixed penalty for organisers of these illegal events reflects the potentially serious public health consequences.

“Coronavirus has not gone away - we all have a shared and ongoing responsibility to keep Wales safe.”

The Welsh Government has not made any recent changes to the rules around gatherings in Wales.

People should not gather in groups of more than 30 people outdoors or meet with people outside of their household or extended household indoors.

It is therefore an offence to do otherwise without a reasonable excuse, such as the limited cases set out in the regulations.