No fines for car smoking with kids in a decade

Nobody has been fined for smoking with children in their car in Devon and Cornwall since it was banned nearly 10 years ago.

Smoking in a private vehicle with children under 18 has been illegal since February 2015, with smokers liable for fines of up to £100.

Devon and Cornwall Police said it had not issued a single fine since the ban was introduced, according to a Freedom of Information disclosure.

The force said it does not keep records of verbal warnings.

Smoking with children in a car carries a fixed penalty fine of £50 for the smoker and a separate fine for the driver, meaning anyone smoking while driving with a child in the car could be fined twice.

Smoking on public transport, in work vehicles and passenger taxis was outlawed in 2007 as part of wider anti-smoking legislation introduced at the time.

The Devon and Cornwall Police Federation has been approached for a comment.

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