MORE than a hundred drivers were stopped in a police crackdown on Canvey to help snare
crooks flouting the law.

Police flooded the island yesterday and used automated number plate recognition technology to read licence plates and spot untaxed, uninsured and stolen vehicles, as well as drivers wanted for crimes.

Motorists using mobile phones while driving, or not wearing seatbelts, were also targeted.

The day-long crackdown, called Operation Surround a Town, saw check points set up in key areas on the island, where more than 180 vehicles were stopped and 115 different offences recorded by officers.

Four vehicles were seized in the operation, three for having no insurance and one in which the driver had no licence or insurance.

An Essex Police spokesman said: “The Surround a Town operation has been running for two years and in that time a great number of people have been arrested for criminal offences and prosecuted for driving while using electrical items.

“We are determined to improve road safety.

We can give many examples of incidents where wearing a seatbelt has saved a person’s life, or a crash has been caused by a driver being distracted by a mobile phone.

“We need help from Essex residents to improve driver behaviour, so we would urge people to contact us if they know of someone driving illegally maybe without MOT or using a mobile phone and we will investigate.”