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Scottish Sun
19 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Scotland's dog fouling law slammed by critics as prosecution stats revealed
Statistics have sparked fears low-level crime is being ignored in Scotland Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) DOG-fouling laws have been described as 'all bark, no bite' after a big drop in prosecutions. The collapse has fuelled fears low-level crime is being ignored in Scotland. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Dog-fouling laws were described as 'all bark, no bite' after a drop in prosecutions Credit: Alamy Latest figures show only one person was nabbed by cops or other agencies in 2021-22 under the Dog Fouling (Scotland) Act 2003. That compares to a high of 86 taken to court in 2013/14 for failing to pick up their pet's poo on streets, parks, paths and footie pitches. Lib Dem MSP Jamie Greene, who uncovered the stats, said they were the result of years of underfunding for councils. He hit out: 'Ever since the SNP started slashing budgets, local authorities have been dogged by a poo problem. 'Figures show there are now barely any prosecutions. This will encourage bad owners because they show the law is all bark, no bite. The Scottish Government needs to ensure police and councils are properly resourced to tackle this.' Under the law, culprits can be hit with fines of up to £100. Data also reveals a big drop in anti-social behaviour crimes recorded by cops. Offences plummeted by 46 per cent in the last decade from 320,000 to fewer than 175,000. The largest drop was for enforcing anti-urinating laws, with 11,216 crimes in 2014/15 and 759 in 2023/24. Police Scotland has been accused of abandoning low-level crime due to a lack of officers. In March last year, the force confirmed it won't investigate some cases where there's no CCTV, witnesses, or other obvious leads. Driver opens stranger's car door to stop an emergency & faces charges – she broke little-known law to save a life A Scottish Government spokesman said: 'We have invested a record £1.64billion in policing this year and provided councils with a record £15billion."
STV News
15-06-2025
- Business
- STV News
Almost 17,500 ScotRail services cancelled last year, figures show
More than 17,000 ScotRail trains were cancelled in the last year, a freedom of information request has found. The data, released after a request by the Scottish Liberal Democrats, found 17,491 services were cancelled in 2024/25. Some 306,120 trains did not arrive within a minute of their scheduled arrival time, which the party said accounted for 45% of all trains. Another 71,691 were late by five or more minutes – around 10% of all trains. Jamie Greene, the Lib Dem transport spokesman at Holyrood, said the Scottish Government must deliver a transport system that works for all of Scotland. He said: 'When it is done right, train travel is swift, reliable and reduces traffic on our roads. 'Unfortunately these figures show that a considerable number of passengers are shelling out huge sums of money to travel by train, only to find that some services simply don't arrive. 'It's more than three years since the SNP Government took over responsibility for Scotland's trains but we are still seeing tens of thousands of trains cancelled or running late. 'If we want to coax people out of their cars, that has to start with a service that runs on time.' Mr Greene urged the Government to work with ScotRail to drive down train delays. PA Media Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP Jamie Greene urged the Scottish Government to improve ScotRail. He added: 'We also want to see Government working with councils to explore new lines, especially in areas where public transport links are poor, and new options for two/three-day-a-week season tickets. 'That's how to make Scotland's railways an attractive prospect for tourists and commuters alike.' Mark Ilderton, ScotRail's service delivery director, said: 'ScotRail operates more than 2,100 services every day, with around nine out of 10 of those services meeting the punctuality target, getting customers to where they need to be. 'Cancellations can be for a number of reasons, many of them outside the control of ScotRail, but represented less than 3% of more than 650,000 services we operate across the country over the course of the year. 'We know how frustrating it is when a service is cancelled or delayed, and that is why everyone at ScotRail is working hard to deliver the safe and reliable railway that our customers expect and deserve, and to encourage more people to travel by train instead of using the car. 'With more than nine out of ten customers satisfied with our service according to Transport Focus, the independent watchdog for transport users, it's testament to the hard work of ScotRail staff in delivering a safe, reliable and green railway.' A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'These cancellations for the period reported represent 2.1% of all ScotRail services. 'Train performance and passenger satisfaction in Scotland is consistently higher than the GB average – but we will keep making improvements so more people choose to travel by rail. 'While our ability to invest and improve services is impacted by ongoing UK Government spending decisions, we have invested over £12bn in rail infrastructure in Scotland since 2007 with a further £1.5 billion investment planned for this financial year. 'Fare increases are lower than elsewhere in the UK, and we're permanently removing ScotRail peak fares from September 1, 2025. 'This move will help people with ongoing cost-of-living pressures, eradicate child poverty and tackle the climate emergency by saving existing rail passengers money, including parents, and encouraging new, potential passengers on to the train and to leave the car at home. 'The Scottish Government believes fundamentally that a fully devolved and integrated railway, publicly controlled and operated in the service of the people of Scotland and truly accountable to them, will deliver better and more efficient services for our people and our communities. 'We will keep pressing for full devolution of all the powers over rail infrastructure and to have full powers to nationalise Scotland's railway.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Glasgow Times
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Glasgow Times
More than 17,000 ScotRail trains cancelled last year
The data, released after a request by the Scottish Liberal Democrats, found 17,491 services were cancelled in 2024/25. Some 306,120 trains did not arrive within a minute of their scheduled arrival time, which the party said accounted for 45% of all trains. Another 71,691 were late by five or more minutes – around 10% of all trains. READ MORE: ScotRail commuters issued warning amid ongoing issue Jamie Greene, the Lib Dem transport spokesman at Holyrood, said the Scottish Government must deliver a transport system that works for all of Scotland. He said: 'When it is done right, train travel is swift, reliable and reduces traffic on our roads. 'Unfortunately, these figures show that a considerable number of passengers are shelling out huge sums of money to travel by train, only to find that some services simply don't arrive. 'It's more than three years since the SNP Government took over responsibility for Scotland's trains, but we are still seeing tens of thousands of trains cancelled or running late. 'If we want to coax people out of their cars, that has to start with a service that runs on time.' Mr Greene urged the Government to work with ScotRail to drive down train delays. He added: 'We also want to see Government working with councils to explore new lines, especially in areas where public transport links are poor, and new options for two/three-day-a-week season tickets. 'That's how to make Scotland's railways an attractive prospect for tourists and commuters alike.' READ MORE: More than 30 roads to close in Glasgow city centre for huge event tomorrow Mark Ilderton, ScotRail's service delivery director, said: 'ScotRail operates more than 2,100 services every day, with around nine out of 10 of those services meeting the punctuality target, getting customers to where they need to be. 'Cancellations can be for a number of reasons, many of them outside the control of ScotRail, but represented less than 3% of more than 650,000 services we operate across the country over the course of the year. 'We know how frustrating it is when a service is cancelled or delayed, and that is why everyone at ScotRail is working hard to deliver the safe and reliable railway that our customers expect and deserve, and to encourage more people to travel by train instead of using the car. 'With more than nine out of 10 customers satisfied with our service, according to Transport Focus, the independent watchdog for transport users, it's a testament to the hard work of ScotRail staff in delivering a safe, reliable and green railway.' READ MORE: Glasgow Summer Sessions issue travel advice ahead of huge gigs A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'These cancellations for the period reported represent 2.1% of all ScotRail services. 'Train performance and passenger satisfaction in Scotland is consistently higher than the GB average – but we will keep making improvements so more people choose to travel by rail. 'While our ability to invest and improve services is impacted by ongoing UK Government spending decisions, we have invested over £12 billion in rail infrastructure in Scotland since 2007, with a further £1.5 billion investment planned for this financial year. 'Fare increases are lower than elsewhere in the UK, and we're permanently removing ScotRail peak fares from 1 September 2025. 'This move will help people with ongoing cost-of-living pressures, eradicate child poverty and tackle the climate emergency by saving existing rail passengers money, including parents, and encouraging new, potential passengers onto the train and to leave the car at home. 'The Scottish Government believes fundamentally that a fully devolved and integrated railway, publicly controlled and operated in the service of the people of Scotland and truly accountable to them, will deliver better and more efficient services for our people and our communities. 'We will keep pressing for full devolution of all the powers over rail infrastructure and to have full powers to nationalise Scotland's railway.'
Scotsman
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Scotsman
More than 17,000 ScotRail trains cancelled in a year
More than 17,000 ScotRail trains were cancelled in the last year, a Freedom of Information request has found. | Jane Barlow/PA Wire Passengers were made to wait as a significant number of ScotRail trains never arrived in 2024/2025. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... More than 17,000 ScotRail trains were cancelled in the last year, a freedom of information request has found. The data, released after a request by the Scottish Liberal Democrats, found 17,491 services were cancelled in 2024/25. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Some 306,120 trains did not arrive within a minute of their scheduled arrival time, which the party said accounted for 45% of all trains. Another 71,691 were late by five or more minutes – around 10% of all trains. Jamie Greene, the Lib Dem transport spokesman at Holyrood, said the Scottish Government must deliver a transport system that works for all of Scotland. READ MORE: Rail chaos as tree hits overhead line near Waverley Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad He said: 'When it is done right, train travel is swift, reliable and reduces traffic on our roads. 'Unfortunately these figures show that a considerable number of passengers are shelling out huge sums of money to travel by train, only to find that some services simply don't arrive. 'It's more than three years since the SNP Government took over responsibility for Scotland's trains but we are still seeing tens of thousands of trains cancelled or running late. 'If we want to coax people out of their cars, that has to start with a service that runs on time.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Mr Greene urged the Government to work with ScotRail to drive down train delays. Major disruption was experienced on the network on Saturday after a tree in Princes Street Gardens fell on an overhead line near Waverley around 9.30am. Trains were delayed from Edinburgh to Glasgow, Aberdeen and Inverness, with services to the Borders and Fife also affected. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The tree was removed and repairs carried out to the line by Network Rail engineers by around 1pm with ScotRail reporting that disruption was likely to continue on affected routes until 5pm. In light of the Freedom of Information figures on cancelled trains and delays, Mark Ilderton, ScotRail's service delivery director, said the firm operated more than 2,100 services a day, with around nine out of 10 meeting the punctuality target. He added: 'Cancellations can be for a number of reasons, many of them outside the control of ScotRail, but represented less than 3% of more than 650,000 services we operate across the country over the course of the year. 'We know how frustrating it is when a service is cancelled or delayed, and that is why everyone at ScotRail is working hard to deliver the safe and reliable railway that our customers expect and deserve, and to encourage more people to travel by train instead of using the car. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'With more than nine out of 10 customers satisfied with our service according to Transport Focus, the independent watchdog for transport users, it's testament to the hard work of ScotRail staff in delivering a safe, reliable and green railway.' A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'These cancellations for the period reported represent 2.1% of all ScotRail services. 'Train performance and passenger satisfaction in Scotland is consistently higher than the GB average – but we will keep making improvements so more people choose to travel by rail. 'While our ability to invest and improve services is impacted by ongoing UK Government spending decisions, we have invested over £12 billion in rail infrastructure in Scotland since 2007 with a further £1.5 billion investment planned for this financial year. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Fare increases are lower than elsewhere in the UK, and we're permanently removing ScotRail peak fares from 1 September 2025. 'This move will help people with ongoing cost-of-living pressures, eradicate child poverty and tackle the climate emergency by saving existing rail passengers money, including parents, and encouraging new, potential passengers on to the train and to leave the car at home. 'The Scottish Government believes fundamentally that a fully devolved and integrated railway, publicly controlled and operated in the service of the people of Scotland and truly accountable to them, will deliver better and more efficient services for our people and our communities.
Daily Record
15-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Over 17,000 ScotRail trains cancelled in last year according to new data
New data has revealed the amount of ScotRail services cancelled in 2024/25. Over 17,000 ScotRail trains were cancelled in the last year as revealed in a shocking freedom of information request. A total of 17,491 services were cancelled in 2024/25 according to data released after a request by the Scottish Liberal Democrats. Some 306,120 trains did not arrive within a minute of their scheduled arrival time, which the party said accounted for 45 percent of all trains. Another 71,691 were late by five or more minutes - around 10 percent of all trains. The Lib Dem transport spokesman at Holyrood Jamie Greene said the Scottish Government must deliver a transport system that works for all of Scotland. He said: "When it is done right, train travel is swift, reliable and reduces traffic on our roads. "Unfortunately these figures show that a considerable number of passengers are shelling out huge sums of money to travel by train, only to find that some services simply don't arrive. "It's more than three years since the SNP Government took over responsibility for Scotland's trains but we are still seeing tens of thousands of trains cancelled or running late. "If we want to coax people out of their cars, that has to start with a service that runs on time." Mr Greene urged the Government to work with ScotRail to drive down train delays. He added: "We also want to see Government working with councils to explore new lines, especially in areas where public transport links are poor, and new options for two/three-day-a-week season tickets. "That's how to make Scotland's railways an attractive prospect for tourists and commuters alike." The Scottish Government and ScotRail have been approached for comment. In March, we reported that ScotRail have paid out almost £2.5million in compensation to passengers since the SNP government nationalised it three years ago A Freedom of Information request showed that delay compensation has increased every year since the firm was brought into public hands in April 2022. ScotRail has paid out £2,495,000 in Delay Repay compensation since April 2022. £804,000 was paid out in 2022/23, £908,000 was paid out in 2023/24, and £783,000 was paid out in 2024/25 Compensation paid out for 30-59 minute delays has increased every year. £88,000 was paid out in 2022/23, £104,000 was paid out in 2023/24, and £108,000 was paid out in 2024/25. Pay-outs for 60-119 minute delays has increased every year. £211,000 was paid out in 2022/23, £224,000 was paid out in 2023/24, and £228,000 was paid out in 2024/25. Over £1.5m was paid out for 120+ minute plus delays since April 2022. It was noted that anyone delayed by 30 minutes or more is entitled to claim money back through the ScotRail website or mobile app due to their Delay Repay Guarantee. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
