Police crackdown snares over 400 drivers for offences

Police who stopped a tractor with an insecure load on the A9 InvernessThurso road discovered the vehicle and trailer also had a defective tyre.

The motorist, who was driving near Berriedale in Caithness, was one of more than 400 people caught during a three-day Scotland- wide crackdown against a range of motoring offences.

Almost 200 people were detected for having no insurance nor a licence. Those who had their vehicles seized face the possibility of their cars being crushed.

And there were another 227 drivers dealt with for construction and use offences, i ncluding the Berriedale motorist.

One driver in Perthshire was detected for using a vehicle with a defective handbrake and exhaust.

The vehicle also had different- sized tyres and

fitted to the same wheels axle.

And a man who took a vehicle without the owner’s consent was stopped in Ayr for careless driving. He was arrested and reported to the courts for that and other offences, including driving without insurance and defective tyres.

Inspector Ewan Innes, head of Aberdeenshire and Moray division road policing unit, said last night: “This initiative has highlighted that some drivers still consider it is acceptable to use their vehicles on a road without insurance or a driving licence.

“The potential implica- tions for other road users can be devastating. An insurance policy is there to assist members of the public when collisions happen.”

He added: “Many drivers think that they can take the risk and will not crash. Experience shows otherwise, and unfortunately they can happen at any time.

“It is bad enough if there is only damage to vehicles, they can be repaired or replaced. However if people suffer life-changing injuries, the compensation from an insurance policy will be invaluable in providing solace for their suffering.

“Drivers who do not properly maintain their vehicles may be totally unaware of any developing, potentially serious defects. It is vital vehicles are checked regularly, not just yearly if a MoT is required.

“All of the drivers detected have been charged and will now have to deal with the financial penalties imposed upon them and the points endorsed on their licences.” BBC journalist Stephanie Flanders, above, has said that past dates with Labour leader Ed Miliband and shadow chancellor Ed Balls do not affect her work. The BBC’s economics editor, 45, dated both politicians in the 1990s. Two accountants have been charged over a £1million gift aid tax relief scam. Edward Watkin Gittins and Martin Calcutt were held following an investigation by HM Revenue and Customs. A man has been hailed a hero after he went into a house where a dog was attacking a 13-year-old boy and fought the animal with a shovel in the Little Horton area of Bradford.

Inspector Ewan Innes: implications for drivers