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| | | OFFICERS from Northamptonshire Police have hailed an operation to improve safety as a success.
Operation Mermaid took place on the M1 at Crick last week and involved Northamptonshire Police, the Vehicle Operators Services Agency and Revenue and Customs officials.
In all 27 heavy goods vehicles were checked on either side of the motorway for things such as abuse of driver's hours, excess weight and mechanical defects.
Of the vehicles checked, 18 were found to have some sort of defect or the driver/company had committed some sort of offence. This is a rate of about 66 per cent.
Inspector Nigel Rickaby said: "I think the operation was a great success.
"We will continue to run these operations, in connection with our partners, to make the roads of Northamptonshire safer and reduce road casualties.
"The Force will not hesitate to prosecute anyone found to be at fault as a result of these operations."
As a result of the operation 4 vehicles were given prohibitions for mechanical defects, four for being over the allowed weight, three for driver's hours offences and one for being unroadworthy. Four people were arrested, two for drugs offences, one was wanted by another Force and another was an illegal immigrant.
