Police are now handing out more fines and warnings for low level violent offences in Irvine and Kilwinning.

Police say they have been using more recorded warnings and fixed penalty notices for antisocial behaviour including violent offences, when they updated community councillors after the Christmas holidays.

They said this was being used as a more effiecient way of dealing with offenders without clogging up the court system.

We previously reported how two females were issued fixed penalty notices after being seen to be engaged in a stand-up fight in Dreghorn.

Speaking at Irvine Community Council, Locality Policing Sgt Douglas Clark said: “We are using more and more now what is called a recorded police warning, where people get a record on them in a warning system rather than putting them through the court.

Community Councillor Marion Taylor said: “I read in the paper that someone was fined on the spot.”

Sgt Douglas Clark added: “Yes were doing that as well for anti-social behaviour, we’re using those as a more efficient way of dealing with offenders rather than clogging up the court

system.”