A SCHEME launched at the Royal Bolton Hospital to crackdown on violent and agressive patients and visitors is being copied across the UK.

The first national pilot scheme to hand an £80 on-the-spot fine to violent patients in accident and emergency at the Royal Bolton Hospital was launched last November and has been hailed a huge success by medical staff and police office.

A three-month trial ended in February, but since then doctors, nurses and other medical staff have been passing on contact details of abusive patients to the police, who have still been issuing the fines.

So far, just seven people have been referred to the police and two fines have been issued, with the others pending.

PC Andrea Brown, whose patch covers the hospital, said: "The scheme has gone really well and other Forces have been really impressed with it.

Officers from Durham have already visited the Farnworth hospital, and police from Northern Ireland have contacted the team to obtain further details as to how they could implement it.