Published: Tuesday, 6th May, 2008 9:21am

£500 for swearing at a bookie? You bet

BETTING shop workers are fed of being verbally abused by punters - with young parents pushing babies in prams being some of the worst offenders.

Now the betting shop workers" union, Community, has launched a campaign warning offenders could be taken to court and handed a £500 fine for their abusive behaviour.

A worker at Ladbrokes in Greenock said: 'Very often we get a young parent coming in with a baby in a pram. When we tell them it"s against the law to bring a young child into a betting shop they get angry and start shouting: "What do you expect me to do, leave the baby outside?"

'We also get parents coming in wanting to use the toilet for their children. It"s against the law, but they won"t accept it.'

Customers also get offensive when they lose money and start arguing about a bet.

A worker said: 'We even get people losing their head when they lose money on gaming machines in the shop.

'One guy was spitting at a machine and throwing chairs around.'

The campaign against abuse is being backed by Greenock and Inverclyde MSP Duncan McNeil, who said: 'Sadly, assaults on, and the abuse of, betting shop staff is on the increase, as are violent betting shop robberies.

'No one should have to put up with the daily threat of violence, or intimidation, when they go to their work.

'The campaign by Community gives bookmakers the chance to take real steps towards challenging this unacceptable behaviour.

'I"m backing a parliamentary motion against betting shop violence, tabled by my colleague, John Park MSP from Fife, and I"ve written to the chief executives of all the leading bookmakers urging them to add their weight to the campaign.'