Taunton vehicles seized in police road safety campaign

Dangerous vehicles have been stopped and taken off the roads in a police road safety campaign.

Multi-agency officers working on Operation Trader in Somerset successfully seized 19 vehicles with dangerous defects, police said.

The team, which had set up at Hankridge Farm retail park in Taunton, stopped 26 vehicles on 1 February.

Acting Insp Stephen Whatley said the aim was to "engage" people driving vehicles which pose a risk.

Operation Trader is a road safety partnership between the Avon and Somerset Roads Policing Unit, local authority licencing teams, Trading Standards, The Environment Agency and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).

Of the vehicles stopped during the programme, a total of 26 traffic offences were identified and dealt with by police, including two arrests for drug driving and one vehicle seized after it was found to be stolen and using false plates.

Other offences and issues included: one vehicle seized for having no insurance, one driver reported for not wearing a seatbelt, six vehicles with defective lights and eight insecure loads.

Insp Whatley from the Avon and Somerset Roads Policing Unit said: "The aim of this operation is to identify those vehicles which pose a risk, engage with the owners or companies, and carry out balanced and proportionate enforcement.

"The Roads Policing Unit will continue to carry out checks and take action where necessary to help protect all road users."

The force said a speed enforcement session held on the nearby A358 during the operation also resulted in 155 vehicles being reported for speeding offences.

Marian Kitson, DVSA director of enforcement said they are "determined to educate, and in the most serious instances, take enforcement action".

"This operation has served to remind drivers of their responsibilities to ensure their vehicles are roadworthy, safely loaded, and their drivers are fit to drive," she said.

"There is no excuse for poorly maintained vehicles on the road."

Avon and Somerset Police said there are 10 more events planned this year across the area.

Follow BBC West on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: [email protected]