MEMBERS of staff and customers of a tanning salon which was open during the coronavirus lockdown have been fined.

Three members of staff at Morenna Tanning Studios in Leigh were issued with £1,000 Fixed Penalty Notices (FPN’s).

The crackdown comes after the council received information that the tanning studio on Railway Road was open.

Members of the regulatory services team along with officers from Greater Manchester Police visited the premises on Sunday, January 17 where they found 10 customers also on site who were issued with £200 FPNs.

Cllr Paul Prescott, council cabinet member for environment and regulatory services, said: "These fines are a reminder to everyone that we will not hesitate to take action on anyone who breaches the rules that are in place to keep us all safe.

“While we appreciate the difficult times that businesses face, it’s vital that everyone does their bit and abides by the rules so we can keep infection rates down, protect the NHS and ultimately save lives.

“At this critical time for our borough, we would urge everyone to stick to the rules and I thank the vast majority of businesses who are complying.”

Under government guidelines only essential businesses providing essential services are permitted to stay open during the winter lockdown.

Shops that supply groceries, medicines and financial services can continue to serve customers, as long as they are Covid-secure. A full list of which businesses can open can be found on the government website.

All businesses permitted to open under national guidelines have a legal responsibility to protect their employees and other people on site.

Anyone with information or suspects that a business is breaching the rules can contact the team at comm.wigan.gov.uk