Police ‘are f ining little old ladies to hit crime targets’

POLICE officers are handing out motoring fines to ‘little old ladies in Asda car parks’ because of a target culture that is draining morale, a whistleblower has warned.

The source told the Mail that officers have also been reduced to standing outside police stations issuing penalties for minor traffic offences.

While police chiefs insist there are no official targets, the insider said ‘ the pressure was on to get results’ as part of a growing war on drivers – but as a consequence officers’ morale was tumbling.

Figures earlier this year showed a crackdown on ‘careless’ or inconsiderate driving in Scotland had seen more than 3,000 fines imposed in a year – far more than in the much larger Metropolitan Police area.

Police have previously admitted that fining drivers for speeding was similar to ‘shooting fish in a barrel’, fuelling concerns that the force is hounding motorists rather than ‘catching real criminals’.

The row comes as Chief Consta- ble Sir Stephen House f aces mounting calls to quit over a string of scandals.

Commenting on the latest evidence of the motoring blitz, Scottish Tory transport spokesman Alex Johnstone said: ‘This is truly appalling behaviour from Police Scotland and demonstrates a culture of targets within the force.

‘Officers should be out catching the real criminals who are flouting the law and not stopping innocent people from just trying to get on with their daily lives.’

The Police Scotland source, who has a senior position in Glasgow, said: ‘It gets to the stage where we’re actually standing outside the station just stopping drivers for minor traffic offences.

‘The pressure is on to get targets. Officers have discretion – I wouldn’t f i ne someone who hasn’t put their belt on if there’s no one else in the car, unless they’re a known criminal.

‘But the pressure is on to get results, so you get people stopping little old ladies coming out of Asda because they didn’t have a belt on, and hitting them with a fine.’

The source said: ‘I have never known morale lower – and that’s because people don’t want to come into work.’

In April, the Mail reported that drivers in Scotland are being hammered by a blitz on minor offences which are virtually ignored in many other police force areas.

In Scotland 3,252 fixed penalty notices had been i ssued f or so- called careless driving, not including speeding. That compares with 1,397 issued by London’s Metropolitan Police.

Chief Superintendent Andy Bates, Greater Glasgow local police commander, said: ‘There are no targets for road traffic offences.

‘Communities repeatedly tell us road safety is one of their biggest concerns and our approach to tackle those who break the law on the road network is based upon that feedback from the public.

‘Officers are always able to use discretion – that has not changed under Police Scotland

‘Policing in Scotland continues to undergo change but our priority is always to serve the public and provide the best possible response to issues as they emerge.’