DOZENS of people were convicted and fined for breaching coronavirus laws in West Mercia last year, figures show.

In total, £10,400 in fines were issued by the courts in West Mercia.

Ministry of Justice (MoJ) data shows in 2020, there were 25 court prosecutions in the area served by West Mercia Police for breaches of restrictions introduced at the beginning of the pandemic.

They resulted in 25 convictions, with all leading to fines.

The largest number of fines – 16 – ranged from £300 to £500 while four convictions resulted in fines of between £500 and £750.

All the convictions were for breaches of emergency restrictions.

The MoJ figures also show men were more likely to be convicted of breaching Covid laws in West Mercia last year – in 19 of the 25 convictions where the sex and age were recorded, the defendant was male.

People aged between 30 and 39 accounted for the largest proportion of convictions.

Across England and Wales, of 4,365 prosecutions against people for breaching coronavirus laws, 3,535 (81 percent) resulted in convictions.