Speeding EU drivers to avoid fines unless caught ‘there and then’ – police chief

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EU nationals who speed on UK roads could escape a fine unless they are caught “there and then”, a police chief has said.

Chief constable Sir David Thompson said: “If we do enforce speeding fines they are going to need to be done by traffic officers on the road – and where a ticket or prosecution takes place – there and then, at the time.”

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Sir David, who heads West Midlands Police – the largest force in England outside the Metropolitan Police Service – added: “From now onwards we are unable to do that (issue a speeding ticket) without actually catching people there and then.”

He was answering questions from the West Midlands’ Labour police and crime commissioner (PCC) on post-Brexit policing arrangements, following the end of the transition agreement on January 1.

EU nationals who speed on UK roads could escape a fine unless they are caught “there and then”, a police chief has saidEU nationals who speed on UK roads could escape a fine unless they are caught “there and then”, a police chief has said
EU nationals who speed on UK roads could escape a fine unless they are caught “there and then”, a police chief has said

David Jamieson, the PCC, said the new arrangements reminded him of concerns held in the early 2000s about “large numbers of EU drivers” escaping UK speeding fines, when he was then a transport minister in Tony’s Blair’s government.

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Mr Jamieson said: “It does look as though we are moving back into that zone now, where these fines can’t be enforced and I think that’s very unfortunate indeed.”

The European Union (EU) cross-border enforcement directive had allowed information-sharing between the UK and the EU, which meant speeding drivers could be contacted when they left the country in which the offence happened.

The directive meant drivers caught speeding in a different member state could be fined up to a year afterwards.

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But the rule is no longer in place after the end of the transition period, meaning it is unlikely speeding drivers from EU states will be fined once they leave the UK.

Likewise British drivers are unlikely to be given a ticket for speeding in an EU country, once they leave a member state.

Addressing a monthly West Midlands policing and crime board meeting on Tuesday, Sir David was also asked about the impact on the force following the UK’s exit from the European Arrest Warrant (EAW) scheme.

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He said the end of the transition period “does see the end of the European Arrest Warrant, which was a smoother approach to some of the issues of extradition than we now have in place.

“But there are still arrangements in place.”

He added the force had instead converted the vast majority of its 51 EAWs, outstanding as of January 1, to Interpol “red notices”.

Sir David said there was now a new national extradition unit taking over management of cases, which work with different forces to arrange arrests.

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He added: “It’s quite a new process; we can’t possibly comment about how quick or how speedy it is compared with the European Arrest Warrant system, but we do have good structures in place.”

Mr Jamieson said it was “hardly getting back control when we do appear to have a system now that is slower for extraditing people”.

He added: “Some have observed Brexit might have been good news for criminals, who can now avoid justice.”

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