Ban on smoking in cars with children flops with only ONE fine issued in a whole year

ONLY one fine was issued in the year after a ban on smoking in cars with children was launched.

It has been illegal to light up in a vehicle in England and Wales with anyone under 18 present since October 2015.

Motorists and passengers face a £50 penalty but only Northumbria has issued a fine.

Freedom of Information requests to 42 police forces showed this as the only fine that had been issued.

Other cases were dealt with by verbal warnings.

The Police Federation said it was “really difficult” to enforce the law as police cannot issue on-the-spot fines.

Three forces, including London's Met Police, have issued warnings on drivers for smoking in cars with children.

Other police departments received reports of alleged offences in moving cars where the drivers had failed to be traced.

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With confusion over issuing on-the-spot fines Essex Police said it was dealing with offences with a verbal warning.

A spokesperson for Great Manchester Police said it was "unclear who can issue fines on whose behalf."

The new law took effect on October 1 2015 in a bid to protect children from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke.

Simon Clark, director of the smoker's group Forest, described the legislation as "useless and redundant".

He said: "Not only is it unenforceable, the impact on public health is almost zero."

Mr Clark claims very few people smoked in cars carrying children even before the ban.

A Department of Health spokesman said: "The measure of success will be in changes in attitude and behaviour."

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