Ashington targeted in crackdown on illegal drivers

Posted by The Journal on Nov 19, 08 10:31 AM in News

Drivers who take to the roads without insurance are being warned they face having their cars seized and crushed in a new crackdown in Northumberland.

Northumbria Police's Operation Magnitude uses automatic number plate recognition technology to identify cars being driven illegally.

The system scans number plates and matches them against a database to pinpoint vehicles of interest to police, and gets them intercepted by an officer.

On the first day of the crackdown, four cars were seized from their owners at the roadside in Bedlington, Blyth, Cramlington and Ashington.

Yesterday Chief Inspector Simon Packham of the Northumberland Area Command said: "This intelligence-led operation is all about denying criminals use of the roads.

"Uninsured cars are used by criminals to commit crime. By taking them off the roads we can both cut crime and improve the safety of other road users.

"We're targeting people who have little regard for the law and whose actions cost law-abiding motorists both time and money.

Owners of seized vehicles have seven working days to produce valid documents and pay the uplift fee of ÃÂ£150 and ÃÂ£20 per day storage costs. If they fail to pay up, their vehicle will be crushed."

Operation Magnitude follows three other recent operations in Northumberland which have targeted night crime, travelling criminals and people thought to be responsible for a rise in the county's crime rate last summer.

Last weekend in the start of Operation Culford - which will run every weekend until Christmas - 117 vehicles were stopped and 14 people arrested for offences such as drink driving, violent disorder and aggravated vehicle taking.

In the clampdown on night-time crimes such as violence, criminal damage and disorder, officers check pubs and clubs to nip any problems in the bud and motor patrols staff working to prevent criminals using the roads.

Last weekend it covered Hexham, Haltwhistle and Prudhoe along with Blyth, Ashington and Morpeth.

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