No escape for bail bandits

Bail bandits in Warwickshire have discovered there's no escaping the Criminal Justice System.

Operation Turn-Up, a nationwide campaign, was implemented in the county at the beginning of the month. Its objective: to track down and bring to justice defendants who skip bail and fail to turn up at court.

In all 182 Fail to Appear (FTA) warrants were executed during the operation, either as a result of letters sent to offenders by Warwickshire Police giving the opportunity to come forward, or as officers turned up unannounced at offenders' homes and workplaces. The warrants executed represent nearly 60 percent of those targeted, with more offenders expected to come forward as a result of the operation.

Chief Inspector Mike Wylde, operational lead for Warwickshire Police, said: "We are delighted with the results of the operation. Failure to appear wastes valuable court time and results in additional stress for victims and witnesses. This is unacceptable and won't be tolerated. We hope that these results will drive home the message that offenders will be traced and brought to justice."

ENDS

For more information or to arrange an interview with Chief Inspector Wylde please contact James Reason on 01926 415 324.