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Magistrates have expressed fears that the use of on-the-spot fines means a new generation of criminals could be overlooked by the courts. They fear police could be 'storing up problems for the future ' by handing out fixed penalty notices for street crime instead of making offenders appear before the courts, where the causes of their behaviour can be tackled. Last year 1,560 tickets were handed out to adults in Norfolk compared to 609 four years ago with magistrates reporting a 40 per cent fall in their workload at the same time. Paul Allen, chairman of Norwich magistrates, said there were fears that spot fines did nothing in the long-term to stop problem individuals spiralling out of control while they also made it difficult for the public to see justice being done. Disorderly drunks wreak havoc on the streets of Norfolk but... [read full story]
