Vehicles of all shapes and sizes, from scooters to HGVs, are to be targeted by the police over the next fortnight in a concerted effort to get dangerous vehicles off the road and crack down on uninsured and unlicensed drivers.

There are to be two police operations which will take place within ten days of each other in the Falmouth, Penryn and Helston areas as officers team up with the DVLA, HM Revenue and Customs and Cornwall Council.

The action comes hot on the heels of several recent serious road traffic accidents, one of which resulted in the deaths of Penryn resident, Bridget Toy, and Jem Tetley, from Grampound, earlier this month.

Acting Sector Inspector (ASI), Ian Thompson, said: “One of the force’s targets is to reduce the number of people seriously injured or killed on the roads. In order to do that we need to be pro-active in targeting the issue of people travelling around in vehicles that are not safe and also aim to tackle crime.

“Criminals use vehicles, we know that, and we have to disrupt their activities, deter them and make them feel unwanted in Falmouth and Helston so that if they want to carry out their activities they go elsewhere.”

The first operation will involve the police’s ANPR (automated number plate recognition) team who will be working with the local response section in an attempt to catch uninsured, unlicensed or unregistered drivers. This will be followed within ten days by the multi-agency operation.

“Anything that is moving on the road is going to be looked at and any problem is going to be dealt with there and then,” said ASI Thompson. “We will be at one fixed point, but other traffic officers will be driving around the area and if they find something that needs addressing they will direct the cars to the spot.

“The aim is to get as many vehicles through our spot checks as possible throughout the day and address as many problems as possible. If people don’t insure their vehicles, the vast majority of the time, there are other issues, either with the person driving or the vehicle itself. We want to ensure that people are driving legally and safe.”

Motorists face on-the-spot fines, being issued with vehicle defect rectification forms and even an appearance in court, risking having their vehicles seized.

“Be warned,” said ASI Thompson, “if there is something wrong with your vehicle, there is every likelihood it will be pulled over.”