Coaches ordered off the road

Five coaches were ordered off the road

Five coaches - packed with day-trippers and holiday makers - were ordered off the road by police after a series of checks on the M5.

Officers from Avon and Somerset Police and the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency pulled over 25 buses and coaches at the Gordano motorway service station on Thursday.

Four were ordered off the road due to serious maintenance problems including defective braking systems, broken seats and faulty lights.

A fifth vehicle was barred from continuing after the driver was unable to prove he had taken sufficient rest breaks.

Superintendent Lawrie Lewis said: "Almost all the coaches we stopped today were carrying either school children on outings, or older people - some of those most vulnerable in any collision on our roads.

Passengers 'supportive'

"The fact that so many of the vehicles we stopped were so dangerous they had to be taken off the road immediately goes to show the need for this sort of joint operation.

"While the checks did disrupt people's journeys, they have been very supportive of what we are trying to do."

Police said another three coaches were allowed to continue their journeys but ordered to carry out repairs within 10 days.

A further three were warned about minor defects and two more were found to have tachograph discrepancies.

Random safety checks on buses and coaches across the Avon and Somerset force area will continue over the weekend.