MORE than 100 motorists were stopped in East Lancashire as part of a blitz aimed at getting criminals off the roads.

And police have pledged that the ANPR technology is in daily use and drivers can expect more crackdowns across East Lancashire.

Officers set up seven road checks across Lancashire using Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology to identify dodgy drivers.

The results of the operation are still being collated, but police from the checkpoint on the A666 at Ewood, in Blackburn, said they made 13 arrests for offences including driving while disqualified and theft, as well as detaining people wanted on warrants.

They also issued fixed penalty notices to drivers with no valid MOT or whose vehicles were found to be unroadworthy.

Customs and Excise officials took duty from drivers found to be using 'red' diesel and court officials dealt with people with unpaid fines. Officers from Pennine Road Traffic Unit stopped vehicles at Vivary Way, Colne and Colne Road, Reedley, where they issued fixed penalty tickets for a variety of motoring offences but made no arrests.

The operation was part of Project Laser, set up by the police in partnership with the Lancashire Magistrates' Courts Service.

Sergeant Stuart Isherwood, of the Road Policing Unit, said: "We have stopped dozens and dozens of motorists and we're very pleased in so far as the aim of this operation is to deny criminals the use of our roads.

"By stopping them like this we can get them in our system and off the streets.

"We set out to identify drivers who are not doing things properly and make the roads safe.

"The operation was also a success for the Customs and Excise people, who identified a number of fuel offences and for the court enforcement officer.

"This technology is in use on a daily basis in East Lancashire. It's here to stay and there will be more big operations. The success we have had can only help in the fight against crime."