Police blitz nets illegal road users

5:41am Friday 27th July 2007

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A driver was twice the drink-drive limit at 10am when police pulled him over during a 48-hour crackdown.

The operation by Sussex Police's road policing unit saw seven arrests and more than 35 cars seized.

Operation Dissent was run across the south east and saw up to 30 officers on the roads all day and all night on Tuesday and Wednesday this week.

They targeted the M27 and A27 and roads near Bognor and Littlehampton in particular.

The operation was aimed at uninsured drivers, drink-drivers and cars suspected of being involved in crimes such as distraction burglaries.

Police used automatic numberplate recognition cameras and mobile computers to spot stolen or uninsured cars.

Officers in patrol cars are able to access police and DVLA databases to get information about the histories of cars and drivers.

Two drink-drivers and three people in stolen cars were among those arrested.

Sergeant Marc Clothier, of Sussex Police, said: "We have had excellent results.

"They are the sort of people we want to take off the roads.

"A significant number of people who don't have insurance are involved in other crime as well.

"It has had a big impact on the public, sending a positive message that we are there policing the roads and disrupting criminality by targeting those who are posing the greatest risk."

In the 12 months to April this year, 99 people were killed and more than 1,000 seriously injured in crashes across Sussex.

Home Office research suggests 330 people a day drink and drive on the county's roads.

Government figures show drivers of unregistered or uninsured cars are ten times more likely to be involved in crime and eight times more likely to drive off after an accident than legal drivers.

In June The Argus reported how police in Eastbourne and Hastings were using powers to seize cars until their owners produce valid documents and impose fines and penalty points.

Operation Dissent was carried out with co-operation from Trading Standards, port units and the Sussex Safer Roads Partnership.

Sussex Police is planning to work with other forces to share intelligence and carry out similar operations in the future.

Superintendent Paul Morrison, the head of Sussex Police Road Policing Unit, said this week's operation was a success.

He said: "We are confident that by focusing our units in specific areas we have sent out a very positive message to the public reassuring them of our commitment to police the roads and also influencing long-term driver behaviour.

"The arrest of drink drivers in the morning clearly illustrates the value of such targeted operations.

"Sussex Police remain committed to ensuring the roads are a safe place and disrupting criminality by targeting those who present the greatest risk to the communities of Sussex and reducing the number of people killed and seriously injured.

"The message to drivers is 'Should you commit offences on the roads of Sussex you will be caught'."