A DUNFERMLINE driver had to pay out more than £1,600 to get his car back after it was clamped because he had repeatedly failed to pay outstanding court fines.

The driver had five unpaid fines for road traffic and vehicle licensing offences imposed at courts in Dunfermline and Edinburgh between January 2015 and July 2016.

After joint enforcement action was taken by officers in the Lothian and Borders and Tayside, Fife and Central Sheriffdoms a seizure of vehicle order was issued and the man’s Audi car was clamped at his home.

He settled the fines, totalling £1,633, in full before having the car released.

And he also had to pay a further £68 charge to have the clamp removed.

Drivers with unpaid fines risk having their vehicles clamped, taken into storage and ultimately scrapped or sold off if they do not settle their fines.

In Edinburgh and Midlothian, five vehicles were seized in one day, as Lothian and Borders Fines Enforcement Officers (FEOs) took tough action against wilful non-payers.

Offences ranged from drink-driving and driving without insurance to not displaying a road tax disc.

Clamping vehicles is one of a number of measures available to the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) for recovering unpaid fines. Other measures include freezing bank accounts taking money directly from earnings or benefits and even arresting non-payers as they travel through ports or airports on holiday or business trips.

A new report released by SCTS today (Thursday) reveals that the fines collection rate remains consistently strong. It shows that 87 per cent of the value of Sheriff Court fines imposed during the three-year period between April 1, 2012, and March 31, 2015, has either been fully paid or is on track to be paid through instalments. This is on par with the value of fines paid as at April 11, 2016.

SCTS chief operations officer David Fraser said: “The fines enforcement team continue to be highly effective in securing unpaid fines – ignoring your fine and not speaking to an enforcement officer if you are having difficulty paying is very unwise. Failure to pay, or to engage with our officers, will result in strong sanctions being taken, including arrestment of wages, bank accounts, your car being clamped or inconvenience and embarrassment by being arrested when travelling abroad.”

All defaulters are given warnings before action is taken. Those in genuine financial difficulty can engage with enforcement officers to discuss payment terms.

Court-imposed fines as well as most penalties issued by the Crown and Procurator Fiscal Service can be paid by phoning 0300 790 0003. Police-issued penalties or those requiring endorsement of a driving record cannot be paid using the new system. Most fines can also be paid on secure website www.scotcourts.gov.uk/payyourfine. Only fines which involve the endorsement of a driving record cannot be paid electronically at the moment.

For those penalties that cannot be paid using the online or telephone payment systems, customers can post payments to Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service, Central Processing Unit, PO Box 23, Glasgow, G59 9DA or take it in person to any Scottish court fines office.