Staffordshire Police have handed out dozens of fixed penalty notices to those caught breaking Coronavirus restrictions in recent days.

Now police say they are ramping up patrols in neighbourhoods where there have been various reports of household gatherings.

In the week leading up to December 2nd, officers say they gave out 91 penalty notices across the county.

Fifty-five of these came in Stoke-on-Trent, and repeat locations for household gatherings include Norton Heights, Tunstall and Blurton.

Chief Inspector Rob Hessell described the number of penalty notices that have been handed out as "disappointing".

He said: "It is disappointing that we have had to hand out the notices but it is important people understand why these regulations are in force across our county and the risks they are not only exposing themselves to, but their friends and loved-ones by gathering.

"The majority of incidents we are dealing with are people gathering in houses and our officers will continue to act on reports and take action where appropriate."

Police have also warned residents to be on their guard against bogus callers who claim to be offering the Covid-19 vaccine in a bid to get into their homes.

While there have been no reported incidents in Staffordshire, local senior officers want families to be vigilant and not fall victim to such hoaxes.

Chief Inspector Hessell added: "We would always advise not to let anyone into your property who has turned up unannounced. With such incidents perpetrators tend to target vulnerable people and we would not want such incidents in our county.

"I would like to thank the vast majority of the public who are adhering to the current restrictions and are supportive of our efforts in working towards bringing normality back to Staffordshire."