Arbroath man left young children at swimming pool to go to bookies

An Angus man who left two young children in a public swimming pool so he could go to the bookies has narrowly escaped a jail sentence.

Faizan Iqbal dumped the pair at Arbroath leisure centre for over an hour.

Forfar Sheriff Court heard that concerned staff found one of the children shivering at the poolside and the other crying in a highchair on May 28.

Iqbal, 36, of of Noran Avenue in Arbroath, was ordered to carry out 160 hours of unpaid work as part of a Community Payback Order for a crime described by Sheriff Gregor Murray as “unthinkable”.

Defence solicitor Grant Bruce said his client was deeply ashamed of his actions.

Iqbal will also be subject to a supervision condition as part of the 18-month CPO.

For more, see Friday’s Angus edition of The Courier.