YOUNG black, Asian and minority-ethnic (BAME) men are nearly twice as likely to be fined under Covid-19 powers than white men, an official report confirmed on Monday. 

The National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) concluded that fixed penalty notices (FPNs) have been disproportionately issued on racial lines during lockdown.

Its analysis shows that, between March 27 and May 25, people from BAME backgrounds were 1.6 times more likely to receive fines than white people, with black and Asian people 1.8 times more likely to be handed penalties than white people.

Young men aged between 18 and 34 from BAME backgrounds were over-represented by about twice the rate of white men in the same age group, the data suggests.

It follows a report by human-rights group Liberty that found that BAME people are 54 per cent more likely to be issued FPNs than white people.

The group said that in light of existing disproportionate policing of BAME people — with black people 40 times more likely to be stopped and searched than white people — safeguards should have been put in place before the new police powers were rushed in on March 27. 

The NPCC’s report also found variation across police forces, with BAME people facing fines at a rate of 1 to 6.5 higher than white people, with greater disproportionality in coastal areas and beauty spots. 

But NPCC chairman Martin Hewitt said that interpretation of the data should be done with “real caution” due to the “small numbers involved in some force areas.”

“In just under half of forces there were fewer than 40 FPNs in total issued to [BAME] people: much less than one FPN a day over the two-month period across each force area,” he said. 

“Rural and coastal forces that attract tourists issued significantly more FPNs to non-residents, which has significantly affected the level of disparity between white and people from [BAME] backgrounds compared with other forces who issued fewer relatively to non-residents.”

Mr Hewitt said that the data presented a “complex picture” but admitted that the disparity was concerning. 

“Each force will be looking at this carefully to assess and mitigate any risks of bias — conscious or unconscious — and to minimise disproportionate impact wherever possible,” he added. 

Labour MP Diane Abbott said that the latest figures simply “reflect the disproportionate use of force against black people by the police force generally.”

She told the Morning Star: “Given these figures, it is surprising that the police still insist that there is no institutional racism in the police force.”

Claudia Webbe, the Labour MP for Leicester East, said: “[FPNs] are meant to be a tool of last resort, but when it comes to dealing with black communities — whether through ignorance, lack of training or racial profiling — the police use of this power lends itself to the continued charge of institutional and systemic racism. 

“Now is the time for our government to transform ‘Black Lives Matter’ from a galvanising slogan to an enshrined social contract. That means interrogating and reforming institutions like the police so that all young people are treated equally, regardless of their ethnicity.”

Powers given to police under the Coronavirus Act have been widely criticised by rights groups, which claim that the guidance on them has been too vague and has led to arbitrary policing.

Katrina Ffrench, chief executive of the StopWatch campaign against excessive policing, said: “It is saddening to know that even in a global pandemic, young black males are subjected to such overpolicing and are viewed with so much suspicion.

“StopWatch is aware of young black men who have been fined and arrested — even though they were just carrying out their vital duties as key workers. 

“The problem with policing cannot be hidden any more. We must make a stand against systemic discrimination and individual bias.”