Charles Kennedy Gets Caution For Chain Smoking On FGW Train

[whole diary]

[Lee]

Former Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy was left red - faced after he was "unofficially" cautioned for chain smoking on a three-hour train journey.The politician continuously lit up during his train trip from Paddington to Plymouth despite the smoking ban on trains having been in place for 10 years (link below.)
http://www.westpress.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=145786&command=displayContent&sourceNode=231644&home=yes&more_nodeId1=145795&contentPK=17766307

He was told by an angry Great Western train manager to stop smoking on several occasions but chose to ignore the warnings.

And when he arrived in Plymouth just after 2pm he was welcomed by two British Transport Police officers who gave him a ticking off for the illegal act.

Kennedy supposedly told officers he thought it was OK to smoke if he was hanging out of the train window.

One angry commuter said: ''We're all aware that a ban has been in place on trains. Everyone knows you can't smoke on public transport anymore. It was embarrassing to see a politician hanging out of a train window to have a puff.''

A Great Western source said: ''It is just common sense that smoking out of a train window could result in a fatality. Not just from the smoking but from the trains going at speed in the opposite direction.''

[Jim]

What a suprise, he is not a norm so got away with it!

[martyjon]

If it were you or I we would now be awaiting a court summons and in all probability receive the maximum penalty. What do they say, 'There's one law for the rich and famous, and one law for the others'. DAMN TRUE.