Police target illegal vehicles

Road casualties have been reduced since the team started work

A team of police officers have resumed a safety campaign in Liverpool aimed at cutting road deaths.

The "Roadsafe" team is targeting illegal vehicles in the south of the city.

Working with other agencies, the aim is to get drivers to get who are criminals, or who pose a threat to safety, off the roads.

Merseyside Police said that in the last year the team had seized hundreds of vehicles, made more than 50 arrests and levied more than £100,000 in on-the-spot fines.

Roadside checkpoints will be operated, but the force said officers would work to ensure disruption to the public is kept to a minimum.

Merseyside Police will not tolerate illegal or dangerous driving

Inspector Bill Clarke

Inspector Bill Clarke, roadside unit manager, said people who used the area's roads had a right to feel safe.

He said: "Anyone who drives illegally - whether that means their vehicle is unroadworthy or without the right documentation - puts the road safety of others at great risk.

"Merseyside Police will not tolerate illegal or dangerous driving, or the use of defective vehicles, and the Roadsafe team is crucial to cracking down on those drivers."

Roadside checkpoints in the past have included "strategic locations" such as Liverpool John Lennon Airport.