Mother jailed for three hours

Magistrates in North Devon have jailed a mother who failed to pay fines after she was caught without licences for her television and her car.

Samantha Chadwick, from Barnstaple, owed £454.

After hearing mitigation, the court decided to let her off all the fines, but sent her to the cells for three hours - until her two children came out of school.

Ms Chadwick was told that the court was doing her a favour.

Courts face a huge backlog in unpaid fines

But Ms Chadwick's partner, Paul Dumball, said it was unfair because she now had a "prison record".

He said: "She is relieved that all her fines are gone and she does not have to worry about that."

"But I am disgusted. It is something I am going to kick up a fuss about."

Two weeks ago Barnstaple magistrates jailed six people for non-payment of fines.

Magistrates clerk Andrew Mimack said: "Most people do pay their fines although a fair proportion of them don't pay on time.

"A smaller proportion do not pay at all, so the court has to take steps to bring them back before the magistrates and to find ways of persuading them, one way or another, to pay up."

Unpaid fines

About £40 in every £100 of court fines currently goes unpaid

Last year, £148m was written off

Magistrates are under pressure from the government to tackle the huge backlog in fines.

New government proposals mean that people who fail to pay court fines could have their cars and other property sold off.

New fines officers appointed at every court in England and Wales will have the power to dock offenders' benefits or wages.

A recent government report revealed that 30% of court fines in Devon and Cornwall go unpaid.