Vehicle operation hailed success

Police were looking for those driving without tax or insurance

More than 900 vehicles were stopped, 56 people arrested and 156 vehicles seized in a joint police campaign across the South West, south England and Wales.

The nine police forces in the area joined together in the week-long Operation Utah.

Officers used automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) to catch people driving without insurance, tax, or those suspected of committing a crime.

ANPR uses cameras to check number plates against a computer database.

Police said one person was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs after four compressed blocks of cocaine, with the street value of £150,00 were discovered hidden inside a concealed safe in a van travelling from the West Country into Wales.

With ANPR, there is literally nowhere to hide Ch Supt Lawrie Lewis

In addition, 100 vehicles were seized for having no insurance, over 20 people were arrested for driving whilst disqualified - one of them was wanted for suspected arson and another on suspicion of kidnapping.

More than 200 police officers from the Devon and Cornwall, Avon and Somerset, Wiltshire, Hampshire, Thames Valley, Dorset, Gloucestershire, South Wales and Gwent forces were involved in the operation.

Vehicles without proper documentation were impounded

The DVLA, Department for Work and Pensions, Vehicle and Operator Services Agency, Highways Agency, Border and Immigration Agency, HM Revenue and Customs and the Motors' Insurance Bureau also took part.

Ch Supt Lawrie Lewis from Avon and Somerset Police said: "This ANPR operation has been a huge success. By joining up with our neighbouring forces and key support agencies, the message is that there are no boundaries for criminals in the South West and Wales.

"With ANPR, there is literally nowhere to hide - we use mobile as well as fixed units, meaning criminals can never second guess when we are watching."