POLICE officers will stop and may take action against drivers of cars from England, Scotland's chief constable has warned as part of his plan to enforce a strict travel ban across the country.

Iain Livingstone told the Scottish Government's briefing on the pandemic today that police would be engaging with people on the move.

Asked for examples of what would prompt officers to stop and speak to someone driving along a road, the chief constable cited a recent case of a van bearing an address from England being stopped. 

The driver was issued with a fine and told to return home. 

READ MORE: Scottish police chief sets out tough action plan to enforce blanket travel ban

He said: "There is a specific example where officers in Glasgow had seen a van. It was a scrap merchant dealer with a Sunderland address on it, driving somewhere on the south side of Glasgow.

"So naturally using power under the Road Traffic Act they stopped and asked them what they were doing and actually they were in complete ignorance of the fact they shouldn't have been there. 

"They were there to collect something. So they were issued with a fixed penalty, they were given effective advice and they were returned. Other circumstances will be as normal if there is a tail light or someone is driving erratically or if the car is very full, full of people, full of luggage."

Livingstone issued the warning in wake of tough measures announced to stop a more infectious strain of the coronavirus taking hold across Scotland after an upsurge in cases in London and the south east of England.

The new variant - which is 70% more infectious than previous strains of the virus - is believed to be responsible for up to 60% of the new cases in those areas.

Livingstone also said there would be an increase in officers' patrols across the country to enforce the travel ban.

Currently no travel is allowed from Scotland to the rest of the UK or the Irish Republic apart from limited exemptions such as for work and caring duties.

From Boxing Day morning all of mainland Scotland will be placed on level 4 restrictions with travel banned across the country including to and from the island communities which will be placed then on level 3.

"In terms of the increase in presence that people will see right across Scotland but particularly ... in the Borders and Dumfries and Galloway there will be a significant increase in visible presence," said Livingstone earlier in the briefing.

"I also expect there to be a reduction in people on the roads and moving around and therefore my expectation, my hope and my intent in terms of doubling the number of patrols is that you will see a really significant impact.

"And if anybody has any sense that I am going to chance it...what I would say is 'don't do that'....and we will be visible and we will be engaging with people who are on the move. Don't chance as you'll be putting other people at risk."

The existing travel ban between Scotland and the rest of the UK was due to ease from December 23 to December 27 but will now remain in place throughout the Christmas holidays due to fears over the new virus strain.

Some 18 cases of the new coronavirus variant have been recorded in Scotland to date, in the Glasgow and Lanarkshire areas.

The chief constable's comments follow remarks by the First Minister on Saturday when said she will talk to police to see how enforcement of the travel ban can be “strengthened”.

After her press conference on Saturday assistant chief constable Alan Speirs said enforcement of the travel restrictions would continue to be a “last resort”.

He added that the force would not change its approach to policing the restrictions.

However, Livingstone's remarks on Sunday and Monday where he underlined the stepping up of 'highly visible patrols' and the stopping of people on the move suggest a tougher approach.

Current restrictions mean it is illegal to travel into or out of council areas in Level 3 or level 4 without a valid exemption, in addition to crossing the border.

Police have the power to issue £60 fines to rule-breakers, although these are halved to £30 if paid within 28 days.

Repeat offenders can face penalties of up to £960.

The chairman of the independent advisory group set up to oversee the police’s use of temporary powers during the coronavirus pandemic, John Scott QC, previously said enforcing a travel ban is “simply impossible”.

Last month, Mr Scott told Holyrood’s Sub-Committee on Policing: “The reality now – as opposed to the height of lockdown back in April and May – is that significant numbers of people are entitled, quite legitimately, to be out and about on the road, whether that is because of work purposes, for care purposes or other essential purposes.

“There are far more people legitimately entitled to be out and about so it makes the policing of that simply impossible, I think.”

He added: “It’s an example of something that is unworkable, other than in those situations where someone comes to the attention of the police for some other reason, then it may be possible that a breach of the travel regulations would come into play as well.

“The police haven’t been given any more officers or more resources.

“They are also being affected now, more than at the earliest stages of lockdown, by officer absence, and they don’t have more police patrol vehicles.”