BRITISH Transport Police have today warned Inverclyde train passengers that they will enforce the wearing of face masks on public transport if people continue to break the rules.

MSP Stuart McMillan met with officers at Port Glasgow Railway Station to raise awareness of the need for passengers to have their faces covered.

He told the Tele that he has received several complaints from local people concerned about youngsters and others travelling on trains without masks on.

He has now joined forces with BTP to remind the public that face coverings are mandatory, with only some exceptions, and must be worn to stop the spread of coronavirus.

Mr McMillan today issued an uncompromising message for passengers.

He said: "A number of constituents have contacted me to say that they have concerns about a limited number of people on trains who are clearly ignoring that fact that face coverings are mandatory on trains.

"In the wake of the First Minister tightening restrictions and pausing plans to open a number of sectors, it is more crucial than ever that we follow all the guidelines that are in place for our own safety.

"No one wants to wear a mask - we would all prefer not to have gone through this pandemic.

"That said, we are where we are and we need to do everything possible to stop the spread of the virus and eliminate it as soon as possible.

"Wearing a face covering on public transport is one way of protecting others from catching and spreading this deadly virus."

British Transport Police Sergeant Pat Fisher added: “We are sure that the public will continue to act responsibly and play their part in helping to protect each other and comply with the requirement to wear face coverings.

"However, as a last resort officers will, if necessary, enforce the government requirement to wear face coverings when travelling.

"We will continue to patrol peak services assisted by ScotRail CCTV monitoring, and we are seeing an increasing use of face coverings by passengers, and greater understanding of the regulation."

Officers say they are keen to work with the local MSP and others to get the key message across.

Sgt Fisher added: "We have been working with local schools, educating and reminding pupils and parents of the need to follow social distancing and the new restrictions, as well as complying with the requirement to wear face coverings."