Mark Littlewood, Liberty's campaigns director:

"This scheme lumps together some trivial offences that shouldn't be criminal
and some more serious ones that should be and are criminal, and should be
subject to the full process of law. Is treating both anti-social behaviour
and potentially far more serious criminal acts in the same way as parking
tickets really the way forward?

"It puts policemen in the position of having to be judge and jury for these
offences - but without the flexibility to apply a punishment tailored to the
offence and the offender. Magistrates' courts can more properly fulfil both
functions.

"It's another shortcut scheme to get around the fact that our police and
courts are struggling and under-resourced. The right answer is to give them
more resources to enforce existing law properly and fairly - not to bring in
shortcuts that put fairness at risk".