A multi-agency day of action to disrupt criminals using Suffolk's roads led to more than 30 Traffic Offence Reports being issued.

Eastern Daily Press: Suffolk Police and partner agencies carried out a previous day of action in Lowestoft to disrupt criminal activity.Suffolk Police and partner agencies carried out a previous day of action in Lowestoft to disrupt criminal activity. (Image: Archant © 2017)

Suffolk police stopped more than 50 vehicles as part of Operation Showdown on Thursday, May 16 - with just 15 of the vehicles leaving the site in Lowestoft clear of any offences.

The 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 by police and partner agencies.

With the aim of disrupting and frustrating the activities of criminals, including organised crime groups - who commit offences across county borders while using the road network - the operation was carried out by officers from the Roads and Armed Policing Team, Road Casualty Reduction Team, Police Dog Unit, Scorpion Team, Commercial Vehicle Unit and Safety Camera Partnership.

Partner agencies included the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), Home Office Immigration, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), Highways England Drive for Better Business (DFBB), Waveney Norse, council taxi inspector and Trading Standards.

One person was reported with a summons to court for fraudulent use of a driving licence and one person was issued with a cannabis warning.

With 31 TORs issued, these were: 14 for not wearing a seatbelt; six for using a mobile phone; four for defective tyres; three for no insurance; two for no MOT; and one each for no driving licence and contravening a red light.

One vehicle defect rectification notice was also issued.

10 people provided negative breath tests and seven people provided negative drug tests.

The Safety Camera Partnership detected 11 speeding offences while stationed at locations on Stradbroke Road, Corton Long Lane and in Flixton.

The DVSA issued one immediate prohibition, taking that vehicle off the road straight away; 11 delayed prohibitions; and 37 advisory notices.

The DVLA clamped five vehicles for not having tax and recovered £1,300 in fines. They also recovered £80 from one warning sticker, totalling £1, 380 in monies recovered.

HMRC challenged 23 vehicles checking for illegal fuel and no offences were found and DFBB made 18 referrals.

Waveney Norse spoke with six traders, giving advice to one. Trading Standards made four referrals and the taxi inspector found seven infringements.

Insp Gary Miller, of the Roads and Armed Policing Team, said: "This was another productive day of action with 35 vehicles found to be committing offences. "It was encouraging that everyone who was either breathalysed or drug tested provided negative samples, which I hope is an indication that our repeated message on the dangers of drink/drug driving is getting through."

Tim Passmore, Police and Crime Commissioner for Suffolk, said: "Great, proactive partnership working, well done to all involved in this latest Operation Showdown.

"I am pleased to see none of the drivers tested for alcohol and drugs were over the limit. I hope this suggests the message is getting through eventually."