Uninsured cars could face crusher

A police initiative to crackdown on uninsured and unlicensed drivers has seen 5,000 vehicles stopped and checked, and 100 of them seized.

The impounded vehicles which prove to be uninsured will be crushed, North Yorkshire Police said.

Under Operation Helical, officers stopped 5,000 vehicles in the county in three weeks.

Some 87 drivers are being prosecuted for having no insurance and another 24 for having no licence.

Uninsured and unlicensed drivers are a menace Deputy Chief Constable Adam Briggs

More than 1,000 fixed penalty tickets were also issued for speeding and 200 drivers are being prosecuted for the illegal use of mobile phones.

Deputy Chief Constable Adam Briggs said: "Uninsured and unlicensed drivers are a menace.

"We can not only prosecute them for the offences they are committing, we can also remove their vehicles.

"It is quite appalling to find so many offences being committed on our roads in just a three-week period."

However Mr Briggs said he was pleased that out of 2,200 breath tests which were carried out, only 22 were positive.