Mayor of Enfield caught cycling with other councillors despite lockdown rules

The Mayor of Enfield has been caught cycling with two other councillors while proudly wearing his chain of office – despite lockdown rules banning exercise with multiple people outside of his household.

Mayor Sabri Ozaydin was filmed with a large group of cyclists as they took a break outside a Costa Coffee shop on Sunday. 

Under coronavirus lockdown rules socialising and exercising with multiple members of other households is banned.  

But photographs posted online by Cllr Ozaydin showed him peddling around Enfield with two others. 

He wrote: ‘Mayor of Enfield, Cllr Sabri Ozaydin, Cllr Ahmet Hasan, Cllr Mustafa Cetinkaya, are out cycling getting their daily exercise.’ 

Photographs posted online by Mayor of Enfield, Councillor Sabri Ozaydin showed him peddling around Enfield with Cllr Ahmet Hasan and Cllr Mustafa Cetinkaya

When challenged by a passerby Cllr Ozaydin claimed they were ‘testing the cycle lanes’. 

Cycle lanes implemented during coronavirus lockdown have sparked controversy recently for clogging up roadways. 

In a clip showing the mayor wearing his chain of office outside a Costa Coffee shop he was stood with at least three men. As a passerby filmed the mayor he said: ‘He knows he’s done wrong. Look. The mayor of Enfield.’ 

Cllr Ozaydin was filmed with a large group of cyclists as they took a break outside a coffee shop on Sunday

Cllr Ozaydin was filmed with a large group of cyclists as they took a break outside a coffee shop on Sunday

Cycle lanes implemented during coronavirus lockdown as part of the Government's controversial £2 billion 'active travel' plan have sparked controversy recently for clogging up roadways

Photographs shared by Cllr Ozaydin

Cycle lanes implemented during coronavirus lockdown as part of the Government’s controversial £2 billion ‘active travel’ plan have sparked controversy recently for clogging up roadways. Pictured, photographs shared by Cllr Ozaydin

The Mayor of Enfield (pictured) was elected last year and sworn into office in June 2020

The Mayor of Enfield (pictured) was elected last year and sworn into office in June 2020

Two others standing near the mayor suddenly stepped back as the man added: ‘So what are you doing out with a group of people?’

Rules for outdoors exercise amid coronavirus lockdown 

You should minimise time spent outside your home, but you can leave your home to exercise. This should be limited to once per day, and you should not travel outside your local area.

You can exercise in a public outdoor place:

  • By yourself 
  • With the people you live with 
  • With your support bubble (if you are legally permitted to form one) 
  • In a childcare bubble where providing childcare 
  • Or, when on your own, with 1 person from another household

This includes but is not limited to running, cycling, walking, and swimming. 

Personal training can continue if participants are from the same household or support bubble. 

It can also continue if it is one-on-one, although this should only take place in a public outdoor place, and not in someone’s private home or garden.

Source: Gov.uk  

Cllr Ozaydin, who is from Turkey, said: ‘We are just cycling.’

The man said: ‘But you’re not allowed to. We’re in a lockdown. You’re only meant to be meeting one other person outside your family house and you’re out with a group of cyclists.’

The mayor said ‘we are testing the roads’ as he pulled a blue surgical mask over his nose and mouth.

The filmer said: ‘But what you’re doing is breaking the law. A group of individuals, all meeting up at a coffee shop and going for a bike ride. It’s not on. You should be leading the way. Not breaking the law.’

Another man, thought to be Cllr Ozaydin’s chauffeur and personal assistant, stepped forward to defend the mayor.

He said: ‘We’re actually attempting to find out what is wrong with the cycle lanes.’ 

The man filming said: ‘In lockdown. Do you all live together? You’ve all come from separate households. There’s a pandemic on. Mayor of Enfield, with his mates, out for a bike ride. Lovely.’ 

Lockdown rules on the Government website clearly state exercise with multiple people from other households is banned.

It reads: ‘You should minimise time spent outside your home, but you can leave your home to exercise. This should be limited to once per day, and you should not travel outside your local area.

‘You can exercise in a public outdoor place: by yourself, with the people you live with, with your support bubble (if you are legally permitted to form one), in a childcare bubble where providing childcare, or, when on your own, with 1 person from another household.’

MailOnline has contacted Cllr Ozaydin for comment. 

Those commenting underneath the mayor’s tweet were not impressed.

One said: ‘The law is clear, at present you may cycle with one person not from your own household, here we see you with at least three people, unless you live with two of them you have broken the law, checking cycle lanes is not mitigation.’

Cllr Ozaydin tried to defend himself as he was filmed outside a Costa coffee shop in Enfield

Cllr Ozaydin tried to defend himself as he was filmed outside a Costa coffee shop in Enfield

Those commenting underneath the mayor's tweet were not impressed with his daily exercise

Those commenting underneath the mayor’s tweet were not impressed with his daily exercise

Nicola Hume, who said she was the daughter of Cllr Ozaydin’s assistant, wrote: ‘The assumption was that he’s just out with friends when he isn’t. He’s with colleagues. 

‘The guy filming has jumped the gun. He’s wearing his mayoral livery collar which shows he’s working. They took some social media pics of him doing some exercise and stopped outside a Costa…’

But others did not accept this explanation. One wrote: ‘It was The official mayor Twitter page that said they’re just “getting their daily exercise”. Not sure why you need a whole group of councillors to “test the roads”.’ 

Another added: ‘Are these the after pics of when 6 of you stopped for a coffee & chat that have been posted on FB…absolutely shocking, we’re in lockdown and this is not seen as essential, think you need to consider an explanation and potential apology to enfield residents.’

Social media users did not agree the cycle ride was necessary. One said: 'The law is clear, at present you may cycle with one person not from your own household, here we see you with at least three people, unless you live with two of them you have broken the law, checking cycle lanes is not mitigation'

Social media users did not agree the cycle ride was necessary. One said: ‘The law is clear, at present you may cycle with one person not from your own household, here we see you with at least three people, unless you live with two of them you have broken the law, checking cycle lanes is not mitigation’

Nicola Hume, who said she was the daughter of Cllr Ozaydin's assistant, wrote: 'The assumption was that he’s just out with friends when he isn’t'

Nicola Hume, who said she was the daughter of Cllr Ozaydin’s assistant, wrote: ‘The assumption was that he’s just out with friends when he isn’t’

One wrote: ‘Disgraceful flouting of the lockdown rules. Perhaps because you are The Mayor you think you are above the law. BTW wearing a Mayoral chain on a bike ride is completely ridiculous!! Let’s wait for the condemnation from the leader of Enfield Council shall we ??!!’

Another said: ‘What did one say. We are checking the cycle lanes. You’d think they would come up with a better excuse. And wearing his chains. Beyond belief.’

Last month it was revealed town halls squandered nearly £1million after being forced to scrap controversial road schemes brought in during the pandemic.

An investigation revealed councils spent millions more on schemes that were riddled with problems, including increased pollution and traffic gridlock.

Freedom of Information requests sent to local authorities across the country found 138 schemes have been completed, with 13 having to be scrapped and 25 altered after a backlash from residents and emergency services.

Motorists and local residents complained bitterly about the new cycle lanes which they claimed caused traffic chaos, pictured here Tooting High Street in September 2020

Motorists and local residents complained bitterly about the new cycle lanes which they claimed caused traffic chaos, pictured here Tooting High Street in September 2020

In total £974,000 was spent on reversing temporary traffic measures such as pop-up cycle lanes and road closures, with a further £86,000 spent on alterations.

However, the real costs are thought to be much higher as some town halls did not provide calculations for the total amount spent on failed schemes.

A total of £7.7million has been spent on 138 completed schemes, with a further 76 planned at a cost of £7.1million.

The measures are part of so-called ‘low traffic neighbourhood’ (LTN) schemes encouraged by the Department for Transport to increase cycling and walking and reduce car use.