Results from North West Motorway Police Group day of action

 

On Wednesday 23 October the North West Motorway Police Group held a day of action on the region′s motorway network.

Officers targeted criminals using the network to commit cross border crimes and illegal drivers who risk the safety of other road users by driving uninsured or unsafe vehicles.

A total of 224 vehicles were stopped on the day and 47 motorists were breathalysed. Officers identified a total of 102 road traffic offences and seized 39 vehicles for offences such as no licence or insurance.

A stolen motorbike was also recovered.

The day of action involved four North West police forces - Merseyside, Cheshire, Lancashire and Greater Manchester, and was supported by officers from West Yorkshire.

The operation also involved Highways Agency and other partner agencies including the Vehicle Operating and Services Agency (VOSA), HMRC and Trading Standards.

The complex network of motorways in the North West are used by thousands of people every day and officers from the North West Motorway Police Group are responsible for keeping the network safe for law abiding road users.

The North West Motorway Police Group′s control room is based in the Highway Agency′s Regional Control Centre just off the M6 at Newton-le-Willows.

The control room is staffed by officers from across the four forces who monitor a video wall which shows feeds from cameras positioned along the length of the network in the North West.

It was here that the operation was co-ordinated, with staff in the control room organising response and deployment of officers to incidents and staff representing all the agencies involved in the day of action to identified check points on the network.

Chief Inspector Rachel Buckle of Greater Manchester Police (GMP), who led the operation, said: "On Wednesday the region′s motorway officers came together to demonstrate their commitment to keeping the roads safe for commuters and preventing criminals from making use of the motorways to conduct their illegal activities.
"Supported by partners from VOSA, HMRC and the Highways Agency Traffic Officer Service (HATOs), the North West Motorway Policing Group was out in force to prevent the criminal use of the network, to tackle unsafe and uninsured vehicles and to provide safety advice to road users."