A day of action to disrupt criminals using Suffolk's roads led to nine people being arrested as more than 80 vehicles were stopped by police.
Suffolk police stopped 85 vehicles as part of Operation Showdown on Monday, March 25 – with just 12 of the vehicles leaving the site in Lowestoft clear.
The multi-agency day of action saw vehicles which were suspected of criminality brought back to a site at Belvedere Road in Lowestoft, where checks were carried out.
During the day vehicles were pulled over for a range of offences including not having insurance, not paying car tax, driving while using a mobile phone or not wearing a seatbelt.
In total eight people were arrested on suspicion of drug driving while one person was arrested for an outstanding warrant as 65 Traffic Offence Reports were issued.
Among them was a taxi driver arrested on suspicion of drug driving and for having no tax while a motorbike rider was stopped for having a defective numberplate and exhaust and the driver was subsequently arrested for drug driving.
Sgt Julian Ditcham, from the Norfolk and Suffolk Roads and Armed Policing Team (RAPT), said: 'It has been a busy day of action in Lowestoft targeting criminals on Suffolk's roads and it provides a high volume of visible police officers for the area.
'We have taken nine people off the roads that should not be there.'
Cars, motorbikes and a caravan were among the vehicles stopped as officers from the RAPT team, Joint Scorpion (proactive) teams and the Road Casualty Reduction Team joined together with partner agencies to carry out the police led multi-agency vehicle check between 8am and 3pm on Monday.
Among the partner agencies in attendance was the DVLA, DVSA, the Environment Agency and AVCIS. With the aim of the operation to disrupt criminal activity, to catch those committing driving offences, and to remove unsafe vehicles from the road as vehicle examinations were carried out, Sgt Ditcham said the day of action was 'really positive.'
He said: 'We have taken some vehicles off the road with serious offences.
'A total of 65 Traffic Offence Reports were issued for offences including no tax, not wearing a seatbelt, using mobile phones at the wheel, having defective tyres or defects on their vehicles.
'This is one of eight days of action we will be holding this year – and we will coming back to Lowestoft again.'
Breakdown of figures
65 Traffic Offence reports were issued as follows: 17 for not wearing a seatbelt; nine for no MOT; seven for number plate offences; five for no insurance; four for using a mobile phone; four for defective exhausts; three for tinted windows; two for defective mirrors; and one each for defective tyres; defective lights; incorrectly registered vehicle; driver hours; no protective headgear; defective brakes; no secondary coupling; contravening a red light; and not being in proper control of the vehicle.
Four vehicles were seized for no insurance/driving licence offences, five vehicle defect rectification notices and three immediate police prohibitions were issued.
16 people provided negative breath tests and seven people provided negative drug tests.
Drugs dogs searched 82 vehicles resulted in 25 positive indications, leading in turn to seven of the drug-driving arrests.
The DVSA issued nine immediate prohibitions, taking those vehicles off the road straight away; five delayed prohibitions; and 32 advisory notices.
The DVLA clamped 16 vehicles for not having tax and issued £4,160 in fines. They also recovered £700 from seven warning stickers and £260 for one seizure, totalling of £5,120 in monies recovered.
Waveney Norse spoke with nine traders, with advice given to one trader.
In addition, the Suffolk Safety Camera Partnership recorded 54 speed offences in the following locations;
A1117 Elm Tree Road (30MPH) - 28 offences detected
C916 Long Road (30MPH) - 10 offences detected
A12 Tom Crisp Way (40MPH) - 9 offences detected
A1117 Millennium Way (40MPH) - 7 offences detected
Reaction
Suffolk Police and Crime Commissioner Tim Passmore said: 'These very visible, proactive days of action are an excellent example of partners working together to keep us all safe.
'It never fails to amaze me how many drivers are on our roads in an unfit state or driving a vehicle unfit for the road.
'I fully support these multi-agency days and I know I speak on behalf of my RoadSafe partners when I applaud the work of everyone involved.
'I'm pleased to see that these events will continue across the county on a regular basis. Keeping our road network safe and free-flowing is so important.'
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