Heavy-handed Manchester police raided a birthday party for a 10-year-old girl

Police have been branded heavy-handed after they broke up a child's back garden birthday party for breaching lockdown rules.

Officers turned up at the house in Greater Manchester after a neighbour's tip-off that residents were breaking strict local curbs on private gatherings.

They discovered members of three different families there despite recent Government restrictions slapped on the North-West following a spike in coronavirus cases.

Officers turned up at the house in Greater Manchester after a neighbour's tip-off that residents were breaking strict local curbs on private gatherings (stock image)

Police gave the Swinton householder – believed to be a single mother holding a party for her ten-year-old daughter – a £50 fine.

Greater Manchester Police, which confirmed the action on social media, were hit by thousands of critical comments by Twitter users who said it was over-the-top.

Many pointed out the family would have been allowed to use an indoor venue such as a soft play centre where they faced a greater risk of infection.

Others said police were quicker at targeting a party than responding to serious crimes.

Police gave the Swinton householder – believed to be a single mother holding a party for her ten-year-old daughter – a £50 fine (Swinton pictured)

David Paton, a professor at Nottingham University, asked: 'Have I got this right? Police are actually advertising the fact that they fined someone for holding a child's birthday party outside in their own garden.'

He questioned why the officers did not use 'discretion' and hand out a warning instead.

A police spokesman said: 'This was one of several breaches of Covid-19 regulations that were publicised to demonstrate the breadth of incidents Greater Manchester Police have been called to in just one night.'