Police have hit the wintry streets of the city and the Moorlands to clamp down on illegal motorists. This week and road crime team cops have swooped on vehicles travelling through Hanley, Shelton, Cheadle and Leek.
This week’s crackdown has seen vehicles seized and arrests made. It marks more activity from the specialist team in North Staffordshire with unmarked cars sent out.
StokeonTrentLive previously reported how the new-look unit was unveiled towards the end of last year, overseen by two senior officers who both trod the neighbourhood beat in the city. The restructure saw cops vow to work with local authorities to identify issues in different parts of the county.
In North Staffordshire this week and cops have been out on the wintry roads for a range of stops. They include:
Cheadle
In the early hours of this morning officers say they stopped a van due to its ‘Tokyo-style drifting’ in the snow. The driver was subsequently arrested on suspicion of drink driving.
Late last night and the cops confirmed how a car was stopped in Cheadle ‘for a traffic offence’. The driver of the Peugeot was subsequently arrested after providing a positive test for cannabis and cocaine.
Leek
In the early hours of this morning officers say a vehicle was seized in Leek and the SUV driver was reported for ‘driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence and for driving with no insurance.’
Police in the Moorlands
Around the same time and detailed as just ‘in the Moorlands’ and cops seized a Vauxhall Astra for having no insurance. Meanwhile the motorist was also reported for driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence, and for driving without insurance.”
Shelton
On Monday and cops were out in Shelton. On Stoke Road near to the A50 and officers say they got a ‘two for one’. Initially they stopped the driver of a tipper van after cops claim the driver was using his phone. They also found the motorist’s licence had expired.
On the same stretch and an Audi driver was found to have no insurance and despite trying to secure cover while being dealt with – the car was seized.
Hanley
A Kia Rio was spotted in Shelton and then stopped on Clough Street in Hanley close to the Tesco traffic lights. Officers say the driver had no insurance or licence. The driver was subsequently reported and the car seized.
A car stopped on Clough Street in Hanley
StokeonTrentLive had previously reported on the issue of uninsured vehicles on Staffordshire’s roads. Following a Freedom of Information request submitted to the force, it was revealed how during 2022 the force seized 7,135 vehicles for reasons ranging from not being insured to being used in an anti-social manner.
Out of that 2,228 were not insured while in Stoke-on-Trent, during that year 352 were found to be on the road without insurance.
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