POLICE seized five uninsured vehicles in one day during a crackdown focusing on Southend this week.

Roads policing officers used information from the Motor Insurers' Bureau to tackle the issue in the city, stopping identified vehicles which were then seized and taken off the roads.

Last month, the bureau, which compensates the victims of crashes involving uninsured drivers, donated £50,000 to Essex Police to fund a three-week clampdown on hotspots across the county.

Essex Police's head of roads policing, Adam Pipe, said: “Thanks to our partnership approach, we can ensure road safety across the county, tackling uninsured drivers, by working with our Motor Insurers' Bureau partners, who also share our ambition to make roads safe for everyone.

“Uninsured drivers may not realise the importance of having insurance – it’s more than a legal requirement.

“It means that those injured in a serious collision get the financial support they need to regain their health and who often require emotional support too.

“Insurance provides this level of cover for those innocent parties.”

Although most drivers are correctly insured, there are some who persist in not insuring their vehicles, Mr Pipe added.

He continued: “Often there is a link between uninsured drivers and further criminality that we cannot overlook.

“For example, uninsured drivers may not have a roadworthy car which, if parts are no longer working correctly, could lead to a serious collision, lasting injuries and stopping the free movement of traffic.

“We’ll continue to work with partners using data and intelligence to identify those who use our roads illegally, to target areas where there are high levels of uninsured vehicles and to disrupt the criminal use of the road network in order to protect those drivers who adhere to the law.”