Police arrest three people, fine one for allegedly breaking COVID-19 mask rules at Uralla business The Pie Mechanic

The Pie Mechanic in Uralla, a popular bakery, was closed for the weekend after police claim they attended a business on Bridge Street, Uralla, about midday on Friday for compliance checks.

Officers from New England police allege four people were working inside the store at the time without wearing a mask, or fitted face covering.

READ MORE:

Police claim three of them had already been spoken to by compliance officers on two occasions earlier in the week and had already been issued penalty infringement notices (PINs).

A 38-year-old woman, a 23-year-old woman and a 41-year-old man were arrested and taken to Armidale Police Station on Friday, police confirmed.

The trio were charged with not wearing fitted face covering in retail or business premises, before being released on strict conditional bail.

All three have been ordered to front court in Armidale later this month.

The fourth staff member was issued a PIN for not wearing fitted face covering in retail or business.

The Express understands the business that was visited by police on Friday was The Pie Mechanic, on Bridge Street in Uralla.

CLICK HERE TO RECEIVE EMAILS FEATURING THE BEST LOCAL NEWS AND STORIES, AS WELL AS OUR BREAKING NEWS ALERTS

The business released a statement to confirm the store would close for the weekend as they looked at their "legal options".

The business claimed staff members had "valid" exemptions for not wearing masks while working.

The Pie Mechanic was closed, as usual, on Monday.

The mask rule was introduced by the state government as the Sydney outbreak of COVID-19 continues to explode.

The Express contacted The Pie Mechanic but representatives declined to comment

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: