A funeral in Bedfordshire may have breached Covid regulations, despite warnings in advance from the police, a meeting heard.

The funeral came into the county from neighbouring Hertfordshire, a meeting of Bedfordshire Police and Crime Panel was told.

Fines are likely to be imposed if the government's lockdown rules have been ignored, according to the county's Police and Crime Commissioner Kathryn Holloway.

"You may have noticed an upturn in enforcement action by Bedfordshire Police since the last panel meetings," she explained to the panel.

"This is as it should be because the Home Office has provided some extra funding to the county force to help around this kind of activity.

"And we've built some very effective partnerships with our local authorities, working with their Covid marshals.

"It's very much a joint effort. There've been more than 1,000 deaths locally, although infection rates are falling.

"That makes it doubly disappointing when only last week Bedfordshire Police had to deal with two funerals, despite a great deal of engagement with the individuals concerned, including funeral directors and priests.

"[The funeral] came into the county from Hertfordshire which sought to break the Covid regulations," said the PCC.

"We'll be enforcing fully, and have made all participants and the organisers aware of the possibility of £10,000 fines there."

The PCC described as "a complete scam" anyone asking for money to provide fake Covid tests.

"Crime prevention advice has been improved and we use the Bedfordshire Police Partnership Trust for this," she added.

"This includes the distribution of specific advice for the elderly over fraud, some of which is connected to Covid."

SOURCE: Bedfordshire Police and Crime Panel meeting via YouTube.