Along with packing passports and flight tickets, travellers are being warned to ensure that all outstanding fines they may have are fully paid before setting out for the airport.

Fines enforcement measures include the issue of arrest warrants and the police have the authority to enforce these at any location, including airports. Since new measures were introduced by the Scottish Court Service (SCS), a string of defaulters have already been stopped at UK airports.

One man missed a week’s holiday to Alicante when he was pulled aside at Glasgow Airport and later watched his mates clamber on board the flight without him.

Offenders are given appropriate warning before fines enforcement measures - which include clamping cars, arresting wages, freezing bank accounts and deducting benefits - are issued.

"Defaulters cannot escape paying their fines. If you are planning to travel by plane or ferry to your summer destination and have an outstanding fine, you risk being arrested at the airport or ferry port, detained and your holiday with family or friends ruined.

"With an unpaid fine, you also face having your car clamped or having your employers contacted to arrest your wages," warned SCS Executive Director of Field Service, Eric McQueen.

"We are committed to ensuring that all fines are paid and since the introduction of specialised enforcement officers, collection rates are continuing to rise."

To date, defaulters have been stopped at airports for unpaid fines relating to breach of the peace by triggering a hotel fire alarm, shouting racial abuse, theft, speeding, drink driving and other driving offences (NOTE: these include no insurance, no proper licence, no tax disc, incorrect tachograph, no MOT).

The travellers were arrested as they tried to board flights in Manchester, Heathrow and Glasgow, and on return journeys at Leeds, Aberdeen and Birmingham airports.

After enforcement officers were contacted, all but three of the defaulters paid their outstanding fines which ranged from £100 to £640. One man was rescued by his partner who was willing to pay his £410 fine for him.

Three men, however, were taken into custody to appear in court. One was released after providing employment information.

Alicante

The second, a 27-year-old Edinburgh man, was arrested at Glasgow Airport by transport police before being taken to Paisley Police Station. He had been about to board a flight to Alicante with seven friends for a week’s holiday, but instead watched his mates leave without him. He appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court the following day and was ordered to pay his £300 fine in instalments. He had been fined for drink driving and failing to appear at an earlier court hearing.

Jailed

A third man was arrested at Birmingham Airport on a return flight from Dubai and later jailed for 14 days.

The 26-year-old Glasgow mechanic had been fined a total of £2011 for shouting racial abuse on top of a string of driving offences dating back to March, 2005. He kept up payments until April, 2009, but then stopped with £1490 still outstanding.

SCS fines enforcement officers attempted to deduct money from his earnings but when this failed a warrant was granted for his arrest. He was stopped at the English airport and transferred to Glasgow where he appeared at the city’s sheriff court the following day.

Footballers

The SCS pursues all defaulters even if they have left Scotland. This has recently included two professional football players fined at Edinburgh Sheriff Court. Both played for the city club Hibernian before joining English teams. They were traced after moving from their local addresses and their earnings were arrested at their new clubs. One had failed to pay a £500 fine for breach of the peace and assault in 2008. The second professional player had been fined £1350 for two separate drink driving offences in 2008 and 2009.

"Sometimes an offender genuinely struggles to meet a fine and we can arrange instalments in these circumstances. But when you have well paid professionals including footballer players on a good salary not taking responsibility to pay their fines, then that is unacceptable," said Mr McQueen.

Across Scotland, collection rates have increased for all fines. A report issued today shows that 90% of the value of sheriff court fines imposed over a three year period from 2007 to 2010 have either been paid or are on track to be paid through instalments. This is an increase of three percentage points on the previous quarterly rate.

Since 2007, more than 282,800 enforcement orders and 39,600 benefit deduction orders have been granted by the courts, while enforcement officers have agreed revised payment terms in almost 93,000 accounts.

Fines can be paid be in court, by post or by telephone and some can be paid on-line. Please visit www.scotcourts.gov.uk/payyourfine for more information.

NOTES:

• The fine defaulters are not named for data protection reasons

• All outstanding fines and financial penalties for which the SCS is responsible are pursued. New enforcement measures introduced in July 2009 are targeting persistent defaulters and

enhanced tracing facilities make it easier to use the full range of enforcement sanctions.

A copy of the SCS Quarterly Fines Report No 8 is available at this link.