Car checkpoint success

2:15pm Tuesday 11th September 2007

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MOTORISTS suspected of driving without an MoT, tax and insurance were taken off the roads as police carried out a week-long crackdown.

Officers set up checkpoints in Market Street, Whitworth, and the Grane Road, Haslingden, and used automatic number plate reading technology to identify suspicious vehicles.

During the crackdown, the plates of thousands of vehicles were run through the police databases.

And this helped officers take 10 cars off the road.

Five suspects were reported on the suspicion of having no tax disc or MoT and a further three for allegedly having no insurance.

Police said the action was the start of regular campaigns which would be carried out across Rossendale.

In addition to police, officers from HM Revenue customs and DVLA were also involved.

PC Marc Rigby, from Rossendale police, said: "The ANPR system allows us to identify vehicles that we suspect are being used by criminals and we can keep track of them on the borough's roads.

"A vehicle will only be stopped where our intelligence suggests it is appropriate. Law abiding citizens have nothing to fear from the ANPR."