Dozens of drivers in Kidderminster hit with fines for breaking road laws

Among them was a stolen trailer, vans that were not roadworthy, and overweight vehicles. All were pulled over on Wednesday by traffic officers targeting commercial vehicles.

In total, officers pulled over 41 commercial vehicles which were checked over for their roadworthiness, insecure loads, weight limits, valid MOT and insurance certificates, stolen machinery, trailers and illegal use of red diesel.

Of the 41 vehicles stopped, two were given Traffic Offence Reports (TORs) for number plate offences, two got TORs for insecure loads, one had a TOR for a defective tyre, two had no insurance, two vehicles were seized for being not roadworthy, three were overweight, two vehicles were stopped for having excessive window tints and one was stopped with a stolen trailer.

The DVSA served 19 immediate prohibitions on the day, including 13 for mechanical defects. Ten vehicles were handed delayed prohibitions including one who received a fixed penalty notice for an insecure load.

One of the vehicles they stopped had a brake calliper with pads so worn-out they were binding on the disc.

Senior PCSO Andy Stevens, who organised the operation, said: "This was another successful multi-agency operation targeting commercial vehicles travelling through the county.

"We stopped vehicles that were of interest to us, making sure they were in a roadworthy condition and insured for the safety of all road users.

"It’s worth saying that drivers caught for offences some people may consider to be minor are often a gateway to other ‘bigger’ offences which they might be trying to hide from us so that’s why we stop them.

"Drivers with heavily tinted windows are effectively driving like they have sunglasses on at nighttime which is clearly a huge risk to them and other road users.

"Vehicles that are overweight or poorly loaded will have longer braking distances, poorer handling and weakened suspension which could have consequences for other road users if they had to stop suddenly so stopping them averts another potentially dangerous situation.

"Our advice to road users is to make sure you are insured, and your vehicle is in a roadworthy condition for everyone’s sake. Please also make sure your tyres are properly inflated by checking once a week.

"In addition, our colleagues at TER successfully identified a stolen trailer and were able to contact its owner who is now in the process of recovering it via their insurers."

West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion said: "Reducing the excessive harm caused on our roads and cutting crime are both at the heart of my work as PCC. To deliver on these commitments, I will continue to back West Mercia Police with the resources and tools it needs.

"The results of this latest multi-agency operation in Kidderminster are testament to the force's all year-round efforts to ensure vehicles that pose a threat to the public are swiftly seized and stolen property is recovered."