Seventeen owners and staff of the barbecue sites were arrested on suspicion of fraud and possession of radio communications transmitting apparatus without a licence. Two of them were also arrested for allegedly operating an unlicensed food business and breaching infection control rules.
Officers also slapped fines on 82 diners for breaching the gathering ban, and gave warnings to 727 other diners. They also issued 18 fixed penalty tickets for illegal parking and dragged away a car which had seriously obstructed the road.
Police said the barbecue businesses did not have the relevant licences to operate, adding that they posed a risk to public health and safety in breaching infection control measures. It also said the noise and smoke from the sites has seriously affected nearby residents.
