Seventy vehicles stopped in dangerous goods crackdown

Seventy vehicles were stopped during the four-day crackdown on major roads throughout Cleveland and Durham from Saturday until Tuesday.

The locations included Seal Sands, on the edge of Hartlepool, and the Wellfield weighbridge on the A181 at Wingate, East Durham.

Police officers from the Cleveland and Durham Specialist Operations Unit were joined by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) to look for potential offences such as tachograph breaches, faulty brake lights, under-inflated wheels, document offences and having the correct signage for the substances that the vehicles carry.

Of the drivers stopped and spoken to, three prohibitions were issued and eight letters of advice were issued to companies concerned where there were issues found relating to incorrect documentation, unclear labelling of vehicles and suitable personal protective equipment.

Alongside these checks, one male was arrested on suspicion of driving while under the influence of drugs, three vehicles were seized for having no insurance and one driver was reported for summons in relation to driving hours offences.

PC Amanda Stokes, from the Cleveland and Durham Specialist Operations Unit, said: “The aim of this operation is to make the roads across Cleveland and Durham as safe as we possibly can for road users and this operation helps us in doing that.

“By identifying offences such as those identified over the last few days we can ensure that drivers have the correct documents in place to drive their vehicles and carry hazardous goods, ensure that the vehicles are in a good condition and are safe to be driven on our roads and that suitable measures are in place should there be a safety issue with a vehicle.”