Cambridgeshire Police have criticised the large number of commercial vehicles that are committing offences after dozens were stopped in a multi-agency operation. Operation Mermaid saw 45 LGVs stopped on the A1 in Sawtry, of which 21 - almost 50% - were issued with prohibition and defect notices. Seven immediate prohibitions were issued for light, tyre and brake offences. Other results from the police-led operation include:
The operation, which also involved Vosa, Trading Standards, DVLA and HM Revenue and Customs officers, comes less than two months after a similar operation in Northamptonshire found almost half of all vehicles stopped were flouting the law. Sergeant Robin Marshall of Cambridgeshire Police says: "It is disappointing to see there are still a number of goods drivers committing offences on the county's roads.
These people are not only endangering themselves but also endangering other road users. "We will continue to run these operations to target those road users who break the law." Operation Mermaid has been running for 12 years and is the codename for nationwide checks outside
of Vosa's day-to-day operations.
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