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French police send rich holidaymakers back to London after they tried to get helicopter to Cannes

July 2, 2019, Moscow, Russia. Airplane Embraer ERJ-135 Avcon Jet at Vnukovo airport in Moscow.
Holidaymakers were turned back to the UK as they attempted to fly Marseille to Cannes in three helicopters after arriving in a chartered Embrare jet (stock). (Getty Images)

A group of rich holidaymakers who flew a private jet from London to the South of France were forced to turn around after being denied entry due to coronavirus restrictions.

Seven men, aged 40-50, and three women aged between 23-25 arrived on a private jet at Marseille-Provence airport last Saturday, with the intention of onward travel to Cannes.

The group had helicopters waiting for them on arrival, which would then fly them to a luxury villa they had rented in the Côte d’Azure.

On arrival, they were refused permission to enter France and were ordered by police to fly back to the UK.

This photo taken on June 30, 2015 shows an aerial view of the Marseille Provence airport in Marseille, southern France. (Boris Horvat, Pool image via AP)
Seven men and three women arrived on the chartered aircraft to Marseille-Provence airport, but were refused entry into France, according to reports. (AP)

The group reportedly set off back to London four hours later.

A French border police spokesperson told Agence France-Presse: “They were coming for a holiday in Cannes and three helicopters were waiting on the tarmac.

“We notified them they were not allowed to enter the national territory and they left four hours later.”

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On landing, the group, made up of several nationalities including Croatian, German, French, Romanian and Ukrainian, reportedly tried to get help from contacts to continue their journey.

The jet had been chartered by a Croatian financier living in London, but details of the incident were only released on Thursday.

A police source told BFMTV: “They had planned to come and have a good time on the Riviera despite the Coronavirus epidemic.

“Everything had been planned by the organiser of the trip – a Croatian national who works in finance and real estate – starting with the London-Marseille trip in a private jet that he had rented on the other side of the Channel.

“He then booked a luxury villa in Cannes. To get there, the man had reserved three helicopters from a company in the Var which provides private connections for privileged customers.”

The helicopter pilots were told to return to their base and were fined for breaking the lockdown rules.

A French police officer checks the documents of a family on a beach in Marseille, southern France, Thursday, March 19, 2020. French President Emmanuel Macron said that for 15 days people will be allowed to leave the place they live only for necessary activities such as shopping for food, going to work or taking a walk. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms. For some it can cause more severe illness, especially in older adults and people with existing health problems. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
A French police officer checks the documents of a family on a beach in Marseille. France has extended its nationwide lockdown measures. (AP)

France recently extended its nationwide lockdown beyond the original review date of 15 April, as the rate of confirmed cases and deaths rose sharply this week.

The latest figures from Johns Hopkins University show France has recorded 118,790 cases of COVID-19, with 12,210 deaths nationwide.

On Tuesday, the country confirmed 1,417 deaths in 24 hours - the highest daily fatality increase of any nation in the world since the outbreak began.

PARIS, FRANCE - APRIL 07: A jogger runs in front of the Eiffel Tower as lockdown continues due to the coronavirus (COVID 19) outbreak on April 7, 2020, in Paris, France. The Paris city hall and the police prefecture have banned jogging in Paris between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. to stem the Covid-19 epidemic. The country is issuing fines for people caught violating its nationwide lockdown measures intended to stop the spread of COVID-19. The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has spread to many countries across the world, claiming over 79,000 lives and infecting over 1 million people. (Photo by Chesnot/Getty Images)
In Paris, the worst affected region, all daytime outdoor exercise has been banned between the hours of 10am and 7pm, during France's extended lockdown. (Getty Images)

All non essential travel in the country has been banned, while anyone entering the country must be able to prove their journey is essential.

And in Paris, the worst affected region, all daytime outdoor exercise has been banned between the hours of 10am and 7pm.

President Emmanuel Macron will address the nation in a live TV broadcast on Monday.

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