On the spot fines introduced for rail station offences

www.btp.police.uk

A man charged with being drunk and incapable was the first to receive an on-the-spot £40 fine from British Transport Police in Scotland, under their new powers aimed at helping reduce crime at rail stations.

The 40-year-old Edinburgh man was warned about his behaviour by the police and issued with the fixed fine, outside the mail rail station in the Scottish capital.

Police imposed their first on-the-spot fine just yards away from the spot where Kenny MacAskill, the justice secretary, had introduced the new police powers, which went into effect on Wednesday.

It is anticipated that the police force will issue around 500 fines annually for various minor offences such as being drunk and incapable, urinating in public and vandalism.

Transport police officers believe that on-the-spot fines will be more of a deterrent than the previous system of reporting offenders to the procurator fiscal for prosecution, as any doubt about whether action will be taken is removed.

The move will also reduce the time officers spend giving evidence in court and completing paperwork. These minor offences account for nearly 25 per cent of all crimes dealt with by the police force.

Other forces in Scotland having been following such as system for the past 18 months, following the success of a trial that was launched in Tayside.

For more information on this article please visit news.scotsman.com.

www.btp.police.uk