Police accused of fining frenzy as off-duty taxi driver is charged for smoking in his car
The Police in East Belfast have been accused of an outrageously heavy-handed approach to fines after an off-duty taxi driver was fined £30 for smoking in his car.
Mr William Smyth, who drives for a taxi firm in the East of the City, was stopped on the 4th February by police and when handed the fine said to the officer ‘is this some sort of wind up” as he thought it was a joke. He was not working, did not have his taxi sign on his roof and was informed he was breaking the law.
Mr Smyth’s case follows news that East Belfast and Castlereagh have the highest amount of police detections for speeding with 2394 and 2298 fines collected respectively last year, the second and third highest proportion of fines in Northern Ireland.
In a statement Mr Smyth said,
“This is completely ridiculous. When stopped I though to myself this is like something from the ‘Just for Laughs’ programme. My car is my only form of transport and when I’m not working it should my business whether I choose to smoke in it or not.”
UUP MLA Michael Copeland, who Mr Smyth approached about his treatment, has written to the Police asking for an explanation and calling for the fine to be lifted.
Speaking today Mr Copeland said,
“I was amazed to hear Mr Smyth’s story. It strikes me that this, when taken with the inordinately high levels of fines for speeding that are given out by police across East Belfast and Castlereagh, points to heavy handed policing or someone in the PSNI setting targets for raising as much cash as possible.
I have written to the Police asking for an explanation and am calling on them to lift the fine against Mr Smyth immediately.”