SOUTH Wales Police fined just one person in a month for breaking coronavirus restrictions, new figures show.

With just over 150 more fines issued across England and Wales in the last four weeks, the chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council said a small minority of people are not following the rules and putting lives at risk.

Data published by the NPCC shows one fixed penalty notice was issued by South Wales Police between August 18 and September 21 – bringing the total number of fines since March 27 to 309.

None of these were handed out in Wales due to breaches of the “rule of six” lockdown regulations, which came into effect on September 14, although there may be a lag in reporting so the number could change when figures are updated.

Just 15 were handed out across England that week.

In total, 18,912 lockdown fines have been issued in England and Wales so far, though just 151 of these occurred in the five weeks to September 21.

NPCC chairman Martin Hewitt said: “The country is at a critical point, and personal choices will matter in the weeks and months to come.

“Thank you to the vast majority of the public for sticking to the rules and following the guidance in place to limit the spread of the virus.

“A small minority, however, are not following the rules, and are making decisions which put lives at risk – they should expect to have enforcement action taken against them.”

Police forces can issue a £60 penalty, reduced to £30 if paid within two weeks, for breaches of the lockdown rules – but just half of the fines handed out in England and Wales so far have been paid.

Separate data published by the NPCC shows no fines have yet been recorded by South Wales Police for people failing to self-isolate after returning from a country on the Government’s quarantine list.

Just 38 of these fines have been issued across England and Wales, but NPCC figures showed hundreds of travellers suspected of breaking quarantine rules had not been traced.