No fines for car smoking with kids in a decade

Smoking in cars carrying children has been banned in England since 2015

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.