More than 28,000 convicted of Covid rule breaches in England and Wales

Exclusive: Data analysis shows people severely penalised for relatively minor infractions of coronavirus laws

More than 28,000 people in England and Wales have been convicted of breaches of Covid-19 regulations, despite the government's insistence that it never intended to criminalise people for minor infractions during the pandemic.

The convictions are for Covid-related offences, such as attendance at gatherings during lockdowns or arriving at airports without the proper evidence of a coronavirus test. Almost 16,000 of the convictions - or 55% - involved people under 30.