POLICE broke up a huge street party of more than 100 covidiots who insisted they didn't believe the coronavirus was real.
West Midlands Police say the crowd – packed into a cramped cul-de-sac – was the largest they have seen since the lockdown started.
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Officers broke up the party in Sandwell Street in Handsworth, Birmingham, at 7.45pm on Wednesday after receiving reports of a mass gathering.
Bodycam footage shows dozens of cars parked up on curbs and in driveways while people, including families and children, enjoyed a barbecue and music.
One officer is heard asking the crowd: "Good evening folks, is everyone enjoying themselves?"
He is met with cheers from the party-goers before he tells them to leave the area for their safety.
The officer tells them: "This is a gathering that cannot happen under the current Covid-19 legislation and restrictions."
One woman is then heard asking: "Is Covid-19 real?"
The shocked officer replied: "Covid-19 is real, yeah. The reason we are here is to provide safety for people.
"We need to disperse this group and for people to go about your business.
It's important people take responsibility for their own actions to help curb the spread of the virus.
"This gathering needs to stop. All the best, enjoy the sun elsewhere."
After several minutes the party-goers leave the area with no fines being imposed by officers and no arrests.
Superintendent Gareth Morris, said: "This gathering was unacceptable. It was, in essence, a large street party.
"Such gatherings are banned at present under Covid-19 regulations as they pose a very real risk of spreading the virus and costing lives.
"It's important people take responsibility for their own actions to help curb the spread of the virus.
"There were several children in this gathering… parents need to be stressing to their children the importance of social distancing to save lives.
"We don't like stopping people having fun…but everyone has to recognise amassing in large numbers like this, given the current pandemic, is out of order.
"The officers handled the situation really well, engaging with the crowd, educating them on the current restrictions, and ordering them to return home.
"There were no arrests and no fines were issued.
"However, these people have been warned and if we encounter any further mass gatherings at the location we may well issue on-the-spot fines."
Since the lockdown rules came into force, West Midlands Police have issued around 2,600 instructions to covidiots and handed out 480 fines.
People took to social media to express their fury at the street party and called on the organisers to be punished.
Writing on Facebook, Wesley Burrows said: "Absolutely gobsmacked that this huge street party was allowed to go unpunished.
"Every single person there could be capable of spreading the virus to someone who could then die. Not enough to call them idiots, they're potential killers."
Annie Dax posted: "Just shows how government messaging on the virus has failed to cut through when you hear ignorant f**wits asking police if it's real."
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