Dozens of vehicles seized during Bassetlaw operation

Officers seized nearly 150 vehicles and arrested a high-risk sex offender during a month-long road safety operation in Bassetlaw.

Operation Highways is a hyper-local, intelligence-led initiative that deploys additional resources to specific neighbourhood areas to tackle issues including speeding and untaxed and uninsured drivers.

Roads Policing officers conducted a total of 383 vehicle stops, made 45 arrests, and seized 149 vehicles after deploying additional resources to the area throughout the month of May.

Particular attention was paid to the A57, where concerns have been raised about young people driving in a dangerous and reckless manner – namely speeding and drifting.

Multiple young drivers were pulled over and spoken to, and officers reported that engagements were broadly positive.

The increased presence of highly trained pursuit drivers also led to the arrest of a high-risk suspect wanted in connection with child sex offences in another force area.

Two dangerous weapons were also seized.

In total, 149 vehicles were seized during the operation, including 61 seized during the course of an unauthorised music event in the area.

A total of 204 Traffic Offence Reports (TORs) were issued for a range of offences, including driving without insurance and road tax.

Detective Inspector Jamie Moore, in charge of Roads Policing at Nottinghamshire Police, said:

“Road safety is often raised as a concern by members of the public, many of whom are well aware of particular local issues where they live and work.

"By basing more officers in a particular location for longer, we are able to address more of these issues and engage more drivers in conversation.

"With more officers patrolling the local road network, we were also well-placed to detain a suspect wanted for very serious offences.

"I am grateful to all the officers for their time and effort over the last few weeks, and for helping to make the local road network safer."

Chief Inspector Clive Collings, responsible for neighborhood policing in the area, said: 

"Our policing staff across Bassetlaw remain absolutely committed to ensuring our road network is as safe for communities as it is hostile to those seeking to commit crime.

"Last year the community-based teams in Bassetlaw almost tripled the number of crimes they solved in comparison to the previous year and, as a criminal, the chance of getting caught in Bassetlaw was higher than anywhere else in county.

"Over the summer we will continue to turn up the heat on those breaking the law on our roads."