Drivers of 95% of vehicles stopped by Roads and Armed Policing Team during action day in Wisbech had committed offences

More than 80 vehicles were escorted to a check site in Wisbech last week by police who were working to disrupt criminality and promote road safety.

Officers from the Roads and Armed Policing Team, supported by the Road Casualty Reduction Team and Moonshot (Automatic Number Plate Recognition), came together with colleagues from Cambridgeshire Constabulary, as well as the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).

The action day saw 83 vehicles being escorted to a designated check site in Wisbech. Officers issued 91 Traffic Offence Reports with only four vehicles leaving the site having committed no offences.

Two thirds (62) of all offences reported formed part of the ‘fatal four’, which are:

- Excess speed;

- Using a mobile phone;

- Failing to wear a seatbelt;

- Drink and drug driving.

Five arrests were made during the day, including two on suspicion of drug driving, one person for obstructing police, assaulting an emergency worker, failing to display correct number plates and driving without insurance and a man who was wanted after having failed to appear at court.

One person was arrested for driving whilst disqualified but later interviewed and reported at the roadside.

Claudette Withy, aged 65 and of Wisbech Road, Welney, has since been charged with assaulting an emergency worker, obstructing a police officer, driving a vehicle without a registration plate which conforms with the regulations, as well as no insurance.

She has been released on bail and is due to appear at Lynn Magistrates Court on April 17.

The DVSA issued five immediate prohibitions for offences on vehicles which were so dangerous they needed immediate action.

Intelligence provided by ANPR suggested a stolen car was heading towards the check site. Officers pre-emptively stopped the vehicle safely, and it was recovered.

The car had been recently purchased by an innocent party. Enquiries are ongoing.

Sgt Ben Hawkins of the Joint Roads and Armed Policing team, said: “The day was a really positive example of cross-border enforcement with officers from various departments from Norfolk and Cambridgeshire working in unison on a joint operation with colleagues from the DVSA.

“The importance of days like this cannot be overstated when it comes to spreading the message of road safety.

“More than 100 offences have been identified and dealt with during the day. Of those, over two thirds were for the fatal four offences which statistics show leads to an increased risk of someone being seriously injured or killed on our roads.

“Alongside this, 14 vehicles were seized for either being uninsured, untaxed or unroadworthy and a number of persons were arrested for a variety of offences.

“Of the vehicles which were stopped by officers on the day, a shocking 95% were dealt with formally in some manner.

“The sheer number of positive results shows the importance of roads policing officers being visible and proactive and I hope that this has helped spread a message of road safety in West Norfolk. We will be keen to continue with such operations in the future.”