The Met has urged Londoners to take personal responsibility to protect lives as the city faces the possibility of tougher restrictions.

Officers across the capital are working to help ensure people follow the current regulations and additional resources continue to be deployed to the areas of London seeing the highest rates of infection.

As well as patrolling public spaces and responding to reports of serious breaches, the Met will continue to focus on large gatherings that remain prohibited or strictly limited in size under the regulations.

Earlier this week nearly 40 attendees at a wedding in an area with some of the highest infection rates in London were each reported for a fine and the organiser faces a potential £10,000 fine. Officers have also broken up unlicensed music events and made arrests at protests, as well as at central London shopping areas where people have failed to follow the regulations.

Officers dealing with such cases will now be able to report people for fines more easily and quickly using a new digital facility, launched this week, for their mobile devices. This helps guide them through the process and saves them substantial amounts of time – freeing them up to undertake more enforcement activity.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist, the Met’s lead for Covid-19 operations, said: “It is really saddening that in the week a vaccine finally began its roll-out to the most vulnerable, offering a ray of hope to us all, that we are facing the possibility of tougher restrictions.

“But I’m afraid the infection rates show not all of us are being careful enough. This isn’t just about keeping to the regulations, important though that is, it is about taking all the precautions we can in every aspect of our lives. The more contact we have, the higher the chance of catching or spreading the virus.

“We already know the drill; try to avoid crowds, don’t travel unless you have to, only go into work if you need to, wear a mask if you can, wash your hands often and limit contact with others as much as possible, only mixing households outdoors or in bubbles. In short – hands, face, space.

“We do understand the temptation to enjoy the festive season – after a tough year we’d really like to do so ourselves, but right now we need to come together as a city and control the virus.

“Our collective actions over the coming days and weeks will have very serious consequences and if we don’t change our behaviour now then people will die who could have otherwise lived – it’s that simple.

“That why it is so disappointing that we continue to see a small minority of selfish people holding parties, large weddings, unlicensed music events or poorly managed protests and although these events are not the only reason for the increase in infections, they are undoubtedly contributing to the problem.

“So we make no apology for using the enforcement powers available to us where we encounter deliberate, dangerous or flagrant breaches of the regulations like these, and our new digital fine system makes getting a fine increasingly likely for both organisers and attendees.

“We will not allow the irresponsible and selfish actions of a few jeopardise the safety of the entire city but we also urge everyone to ensure they too are taking personal responsibility to do all they can protect themselves and their community.