Cheshire Police’s Rural Crime Team targeted West Cheshire’s rural roads last week as part of a two-day enforcement operation.
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On Wednesday 6 July officers, assisted by Cheshire West and Chester Enforcement Officers, Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency , the Commercial Vehicle Unit, and the Constabulary’s motorbike officers checked vehicles including HGVs to ensure they were safe to use the roads.
Waste and livestock carriers were also assessed to ensure licences were in order, and the Constabulary’s vehicle examiner assessed plant and agricultural equipment to check they were all in order and not stolen.
The roads targeted included the A41 Shropshire border, A534 Welsh border and the A51 around the Tarvin area.
Tickets were issued for insecure loads, driver hour offences, exceeding the safe weight of a load, due care and attention and more.
The following day, Thursday 7 July, the teams focused on waste carriers, livestock and plant and agricultural equipment around the north of Chester in the Helsby, Frodsham, A5117 and Ellesmere Port areas.
The teams issued prohibitions on HGV’s, as well as those with insecure loads and defective vehicles.
A number of vehicles were also stopped for speeding offences, no insurance, and anti-social behaviour.
PC Ashley Tether said: “Our aim is to make our rural roads safe for all road users, and operations like this help to highlight what we’re doing every day in our effort to achieve this.
“Over the two days we targeted both domestic and commercial vehicles with defects, those committing road traffic offences, carrying waste, livestock, and plant and agricultural equipment.
“Insecure loads, doing too many hours behind the wheel, or just not paying attention, especially in a HGV can have devastating consequences so it’s vital we continue with our enforcement and educating drivers about the dangers.
“We also targeted those carrying waste without the proper licences as the waste they are carrying inevitably ends up on our rural laybys and open land, blighting the community and devastating the environment.
“I hope these enforcement operations reassure our rural communities that we are out there, taking action and making life difficult for those intent on committing crime.”