Text entered

Roads operation targets illegal drivers

Northumbria Police

25 March 2008


Police in Northumberland have been putting the brakes on motorists driving untaxed and illegal vehicles.
In a two-day joint operation, officers teamed up with HM Customs and Excise, VOSA (Vehicle and Operator Services Agency) and the DVLA to drive down crime and catch illegal drivers.
Also involved were the Arson Task Force, looking for vehicles which present a fire risk, while police used Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology to check for disqualified drivers and insurance and tax offences.
A total of 244 vehicles were stopped in Ashington and Cramlington and tested for red diesel. Out of these, three tested positive and were taken off the road. Ten vehicles were found to be untaxed while six drivers were summonsed for having defective cars.
Sergeant Jeff Brown of the Ashington Neighbourhood Policing team, said: "By targeting these offenders we aim to cut crime on the road network and reduce casualties.
"Untaxed drivers and those using red diesel cost law-abiding motorists money because of lost revenue. All too often such vehicles are without the right documents and many are not in a roadworthy state.
"The operation also helped us gain valuable intelligence on vehicles and drivers."
Inspector Janice Hutton from the Cramlington Neighbourhood Policing team, added: "We've run similar operations before, working with our partners, but never on such a scale.
"Law-abiding motorists should not have to pay for the small minority who flout the laws of the road."
A spokesman for HM Customs and Excise added: "We are determined to crack down on the illegal use of red diesel, both to protect honest retailers and also to stop otherwise innocent motorists from getting dragged in to more organised crime."