90% of fines go unpaid
Page 8
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• Barely 10% of the £9.2m worth of fines imposed for carrying stowaways into the UK have been paid, according to Home Office figures.
Next week marks the first anniversary of the penalty system, which came into force on 3 April 2000. The number of stowaways discovered has exceeded 4,600 but the Home Office admits that only £840,000 has been paid.
A spokeswoman says that dealing with objections is proving a long-winded process: "People have 60 days to pay and 30 days to put in a notice of objection and it takes time for those to go through. There's a big time lag between a penalty being imposed and an eventual resolution."
Last week Home Office
Minister Barbara Roche said the fines have encouraged hauliers and ferry operators to introduce better security systems; provisional figures showed a 37% drop in the number of stowaways found in Kent in the first 12 weeks of 002 checks being introduced on all freight vehicles using P&,0 Stena Line ferries from Calais.