10 Nov #Southend: Man charged with number of offences after road safety operation
A man wanted on recall to prison has been arrested and charged with a number of offences following a road safety operation in Southend on Tuesday, November 8.
Officers from the Casualty Reduction Unit worked with colleagues from the Safer Essex Roads Partnership and Southend Borough Council to run a Surround a Town Operation designed to detect offenders using the roads and increase road safety.
Officers used Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) to identify suspect vehicles which were then intercepted and taken to stop-check sites at services off the A127.
A 27-year-old man of no fixed address was arrested in the car park of Belfairs Woods. Officers initially spotted he wasn’t wearing a seatbelt but checks later revealed him to be wanted on recall to prison.
John Tait was also later charged with driving without insurance, dangerous driving, driving whilst disqualified, failing to stop and going equipped for theft. He was due to appear at Southend Magistrates’ Court this morning (Wednesday, November 9, 2016).
A 23-year-old man from Maldon was also arrested on suspicion of drug driving after officers stopped the van in which he was travelling on the A127 near Progress Road. He has been released on bail pending further enquiries until January 5, 2017.
During the operation a number of traffic offences were also detected.
A total of 23 vehicles were found not to have a valid MOT and four were seized because their drivers didn’t have appropriate insurance.
Twenty-seven people were found not to be wearing a seatbelt and 22 were detected using a mobile phone behind the wheel. One driver was found to be committing both offences.
One driver was dealt with for driving otherwise than in accordance with the terms of their licence and another was found to be driving a vehicle with a dangerously bald tyre. He was issued a vehicle defect rectification notice and given a period of 14 days to replace the tyre or face prosecution, points on their licence and/or a fine.
Two drivers were found to be displaying number plates which didn’t conform to legal requirements and a driver towing a boat was stopped for failing to use extended wing mirrors.
During the operation, representatives from the Safer Essex Roads Partnership engaged with 46 drivers to educate them in car child safety and the dangers of using a mobile phone behind the wheel and failing to wear a seatbelt.
Sgt David Rudd from the Casualty Reduction Unit said: “These results show why we continue to run road safety operations on the roads of Essex in association with our partners. Unfortunately we continue to deal with irresponsible drivers who fail to abide by the law by using a mobile phone behind the wheel or refusing to wear a seatbelt.
“Although equally as important, these operations are not just about detecting driving offences however. They’re also about detecting and deterring crime. We will continue working with our partners to make it more difficult for suspected criminals to operate in our county and get away with their crimes.
“Yesterday we also discovered a high number of vehicles without valid MOTs. MOTs are extremely important as they help to ensure the safety of a vehicle for the driver, their passengers and other road users.
“However many people fail to realise that their MOT has expired. Please remember to check when your vehicle’s MOT is next due. Many MOT testing stations will send you a reminder for a small fee or why not put a reminder in your phone?
