Arrests and vehicles seized as officers carry out road safety operations

Officers hit the roads of South Staffordshire over two nights this week to crackdown on illegal motorists.

And during the operations a total of six arrests were made while four vehicles were also seized for offences including having no insurance or tax.

The enforcement activity saw Staffordshire Police’s Road Policing Unit link up with officers from South Staffordshire Neighbourhood Policing Team as the force looks to improve safety on the county’s roads as part of the ongoing Operation Lighting campaign which seeks to reduce injuries and fatalities on the highways and disrupt offenders.

Pictured: A vehicle stopped during the operation

During Monday night’s operation three men were arrested on suspicion of different matters including failure to appear in court, possession with intent to supply, drug driving, and other motoring offences. 

On that same night officers seized a vehicle on Lower Penn with the driver reported for no insurance, tax or MOT. Over in Himley a motorist was stopped and reported for exceeding the speed limit.

In addition, during Monday’s operation, officers were also involved with a cloned vehicle which failed to stop and tracked it from Wombourne to Brierley Hill where it came to a halt. The car was also thought to be stolen and linked to thefts from vans.

Pictured: A vehicle stopped during the operation

During Tuesday night officers arrested three motorists, all men, on suspicion of drug driving while three vehicles were also seized – one for having no tax and two for no insurance. In addition one motorist was reported for travelling at 47mph in a 30mph zone in Wombourne while another driver was stopped for using a mobile phone.

The operations come as Staffordshire Police is backing a national campaign to reduce the number of people becoming distracted by a mobile phone while driving. During February the force is urging motorists to be #PhoneFree with officers using different initiatives to crackdown on that offence.  

Pictured: A vehicle stopped during the operation

Meanwhile officers involved in the operations around Wombourne this week say they will continue to monitor the area’s roads.

The force’s road policing unit – which includes former Wombourne PC Brad Mercer-Wilkinson - worked alongside Sergeant Jason Dorrington, of the South Staffordshire Neighbourhood Policing Team, and the local officers. PC Mercer-Wilkinson, of the road policing unit, said: “Overall these were very successful operations as the aim was to ensure the roads of South Staffordshire are safe. We will continue to carry out proactive operations such as this in the future.”

Sgt Dorrington added: “This week’s operations in Wombourne involved our neighbourhood teams working closely with the Road Policing Unit to identify illegal activity on our area’s roads. These two operations were an opportunity to demonstrate high visibility policing to our community and respond to their concerns.”