79 motorists caught committing offences on first day of police operation targeting dangerous drivers in Lancashire

79 motorists were pulled over for a variety of serious driving offences across Lancashire in one day.
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Lancashire Police launched Operation Vanquish – an initiative that targets those who use the county’s roads for criminality - on Tuesday (March 1).

On day one of the Operation, nine drivers were found to be over the limit for drink or drugs after being pulled over by the police.

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Another 70 were punished for other offences such as driving without a licence, MOT or insurance, not wearing a seatbelt or driving on cloned plates.

A total of ten vehicles were subsequently seized.

Insp Rob Conolly-Perch, of the Lancashire Police TacOps team, said: "We hope the figures from the first day send a clear message that if you are breaking the law on the road we will use all equipment and technology available to us to ensure you are caught.”

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Officers also tracked down several stolen vehicles, including one in Rishton which had only been stolen an hour earlier from the west side of the county.

On day one of Operation Vanquish, nine drivers were found to be over the limit for drink or drugs when pulled over by the police. (Credit: Lancashire Police)On day one of Operation Vanquish, nine drivers were found to be over the limit for drink or drugs when pulled over by the police. (Credit: Lancashire Police)
On day one of Operation Vanquish, nine drivers were found to be over the limit for drink or drugs when pulled over by the police. (Credit: Lancashire Police)

A man was also arrested after a car carrying a large amount of drugs was stopped on the M6.

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The vehicle was pulled over after officers received intelligence that it was being used to transport drugs from the West Midlands to Cumbria.

A 45-year-old man from Carlisle was arrested at the scene on suspicion of possession with intent to supply (not Class A).

He was later released under investigation.

A man was also arrested after a car carrying a large amount of drugs was stopped on the M6. (Credit: Lancashire Police)A man was also arrested after a car carrying a large amount of drugs was stopped on the M6. (Credit: Lancashire Police)
A man was also arrested after a car carrying a large amount of drugs was stopped on the M6. (Credit: Lancashire Police)

The vehicle was also seized.

"We obviously target this kind of criminality every day of every week – but this week in particular, we’re carrying out surge activity to tackle these issues,” Insp Rob Conolly-Perch added.

“We will be taking the fight to criminals with a focus on making Lancashire’s roads safer by targeting those who think the law doesn’t apply to them or who use the roads for criminality such a transporting drugs or stolen vehicles.”

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Anybody with information about criminality on the roads – from drug supply to drink-driving and anything in between - can contact the police by calling 101 or reporting it online at doitonline.lancashire.police.uk.

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