Zara Holland ‘intercepted at airport after cops found her hotel room empty’ as star faces jail for breaching Covid rules
LOVE Island star Zara Holland was reportedly intercepted after cops found her £350-a-night Barbados hotel room empty - and now faces jail for breaching Covid-19 rules.
The former Miss Great Britain, 25, will appear in court on Wednesday after cops raided the hotel room she was supposed to be isolating in empty.
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She and boyfriend Elliott Love, 30, were intercepted by police at the airport as they tried to flee after he tested positive.
She faces up to a year behind bars and an £18,000 fine.
Entitled Breach of Quarantine, police released a statement saying: "Police at Hastings Worthing Police Station have warned Zara Holland, 25 years old, a citizen of Great Britain and staying at the Sugar Bay Hotel, Hastings, Christ Church of intended prosecution for the offence of Breaching Quaratine.
"Facts. The accused arrived on the island on Sunday, December 27th, 202, and was tested for the Coronavirus on December 28th, 2020, and reportedly instructed to remain at the Sugar Bay Hotel, Hastings, Christ Church until the results were known.
"On Tuesday December 29 2020 Personnel from the COVID-19 Unit visited the hotel and discovered that Zara Holland had left without permission.
"She was intercepted at Grantley Adams International Airport attempting to leave the island.
"On Saturday, January 02, 2021, Zara Holland presented herself to Hastings Worthing Police Station accompanied by an Attorney at law, she was served with a summons in respect of the mentioned offence and is expected to appear at the District ‘A’ Magistrates Court on Wednesday 06th 2021."
It has now emerged the island has had a surge of 200 new cases of the virus in the past two days, with 33 linked to the airport from which the couple tried to leave.
She will be in court a week after a fellow tourist was jailed for six months for a similar breach.
Last night, Love remained at the island’s quarantine centre. More than 800 people, mainly islanders, have signed a petition demanding the pair be thrown in jail.
The petition reads: "They undermined the huge amount of work that had been done to suppress community transmission and they didn’t just risk the livelihoods of Bajans, they risked their lives.
"If one single person dies as a result of their selfish and cowardly actions, then they should be charged with murder. Either way, we strongly believe they should receive a custodial sentence, either in Barbados or the UK, for wantonly endangering the lives of hundreds of thousands of people."
People who signed the petition labelled the couple "selfish".
Zara, from North Ferriby, East Yorkshire, has been visiting the Caribbean island for many years and was yesterday confined to her hotel room.
She told island newspaper Barbados Today: “I would never do anything to jeopardise an entire nation that I have nothing but love and respect for.”
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She said: "I firstly wish to apologise to the entire country of Barbados for what has been a massive mix up and misunderstanding during my most recent stay."
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Zara added: "I am currently working closely with the local authorities to rectify any issues on my part and will issue an update and full statement which I think is the only right thing to do to the Government and citizens of Barbados."
The couple had been staying at the beachfront Sugar Bay resort.
