France's shocking lockdown sanctions: reporter tells Nigel Farage

7 April 2020, 13:06

France's shocking lockdown sanctions: reporter tells Nigel Farage

LBC's correspondent in France tells Nigel Farage about their shocking lockdown punishments.

Nigel reflected that if Health Secretary Matt Hancock said Britons couldn't leave their houses once a day to exercise there'd be "mass insurrection."

Yet a country only over 20 miles away have been under a lockdown much stricter than the UK.

LBC's correspondent Peter Allen said fines are being handed out "all the time" and there have even been prison sentences.

"Lots of police everywhere asking for documentation, who you are, where you come from, how long you're out for," he explained, "it's extremely strict over here at the moment."

Peter said that to go out in France, you have to download an internal ministry document, write the exact time you leave the house, put your name and address on it, bring your passport with you, and stick to that hour.

Sanctions in France begin with 135 euro fine and if caught again within a few days it rapidly increases to 300 or 400 euros.

There is a six month prison sentence if someone is caught out when they shouldn't be over four times.

"It really is extremely strict," said Peter, sharing that around 65 million euros have been handed out in fines, and reflected that over the coming weeks you could end up a convicted criminal for wanting to sit in the park.