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Coronavirus: Police stop driver making 224-mile trip during lockdown to buy £15 eBay item

The empty M6 motorway is pictured from junction 18, near Middlewich, north west England on March 29, 2020, as life in Britain continues during the nationwide lockdown to combat the novel coronavirus pandemic. - Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned Saturday the coronavirus outbreak will get worse before it gets better, as the number of deaths in Britain rose 260 in one day to over 1,000. The Conservative leader, who himself tested positive for COVID-19 this week, issued the warning in a leaflet being sent to all UK households explaining how their actions can help limit the spread. "We know things will get worse before they get better," Johnson wrote. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP) (Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
The motorist was stopped on the M6 motorway as he made a 224-mile round-trip to collect an item from eBay. (Picture: PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)

A motorist was stopped by a police on a 224-mile round trip to buy a £15 item off eBay in the middle of the coronavirus lockdown - with his wife in the boot of the car.

The man had driven from Coventry to Salford, Greater Manchester, to collect some windows he had bought off eBay, police said, despite the public being warned only to make essential journeys as part of measures to limit the spread of the virus.

Motorway police, who pulled the man over on the M6 in Cheshire as he travelled back home, were surprised to find his wife in the boot of the car.

They said she couldn’t fit in the vehicle once the man had collected his purchase so had to move into the boot for the two-hour journey south.

Sharing the information in the North West Motorway Police Twitter feed, the force said: “A driver has travelled from Coventry to Salford to collect a £15 eBay purchase of windows.

“His wife could not fit in the vehicle so she was travelling in the boot for the return journey when stopped on the M6 Cheshire.”

They said officers wrote out a Traffic Offence Report for the driver.

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The discovery is not the first tale of people flouting government lockdown rules.

On Saturday night, police in Derbyshire were left in “absolute shock” after finding a “massive” karaoke party in Normanton, Derby.

Officers said they found the gathering 25 adults and children at around 10pm on Saturday night and had dispersed them, saying: “It is clear people are still having complete disregard for the Government advice and rules.”

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