UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak fined for not wearing a seatbelt

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has been fined for not wearing a seatbelt. The PM says he will pay the fine and “fully accepts” the “mistake”.

Rishi Sunak has been fined by cops for not wearing his seatbelt.

Lancashire Police handed down the PM’s second fixed penalty notice within a year following a short probe.

Downing St said Mr Sunak would pay the fine and “fully accepts” it was a “mistake” not to strap in during a trip to Blackpool on Thursday.

He was caught riding beltless in the back seat while filming a video promoting his Levelling Up drive.

Rishi Sunak without a seatbelt yesterday. Picture: INSTAGRAM/UNPIXS

The offence carries a maximum £500 fine, but Mr Sunak had last night not been told by cops how much he must pay.

Local Tory MP Scott Benton had slammed the seatbelt investigation as a waste of police time.

He said: “The vast majority of people would think that politically-motivated complaints about a seat belt are not good use of frontline resources.”

But the Lib Dems said Mr Sunak showed “the same disregard for the rules as Boris Johnson”.

Both Mr Sunak, the then Chancellor, and Mr Johnson were fined by the Met last April for an illegal gathering during lockdown.

A Lancashire Police statement last night said: “You will be aware that a video has been circulating on social media showing an individual failing to wear a seatbelt while a passenger in a moving car in Lancashire.

“After looking into this matter, we have today issued a 42-year-old man from London with a conditional offer of fixed penalty.”

A No10 spokesman said: “The Prime Minister fully accepts this was a mistake and has apologised. He will of course comply with the fixed penalty.”

Originally published as UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak fined for not wearing a seatbelt