Tow the line

Police and licence enforcement agencies carry out Operation Considerate outside Oldham fire station on Lees Road. Vehicles were stopped for a variety of offences, including driving without insurance and driving while putting on make-up. Pic shows cars being seized for having no insurance.

A CRACKDOWN on drivers committing offences at the wheel saw dozens of motorists fined and vehicles seized in Oldham yesterday.

As part of Greater Manchester Police’s Operation Considerate, officers stopped road users outside Oldham Fire Station on Lees Road, one of the busiest routes to and from the town centre.

Police and licence enforcement agencies seized 10 uninsured vehicles. A further three were removed from the road for illegally tinted windows during the five-hour operation yesterday morning.

Fourteen drivers were fined £100 and handed three points on their licence for using their mobile phone while driving. A woman was also issued with the same fine and points for applying lipstick while driving. A man was also arrested for driving under the influence of cannabis.

Another driver was stopped for littering while driving.

Oldham Council also suspended five taxis for mechanical defects, including bald tyres. Seven motorists or children were also stopped for not wearing their seatbelts. One driver was handed a warning for anti-social driving.

Motorists were not the only road users targeted by the operation, with four cyclists also stopped for riding on the footpath.

Gareth Walker, of GMP, said: “The operation in Oldham was a success.

“Operation Considerate aims to encourage all road users, whether they are on two wheels or four, powered or not, to be considerate of each other and make sure the road is safe for everyone.

“We see all the time the dangers that offences such as drink or drug driving, using mobile phones at the wheel and not wearing seatbelts can pose.

“In the run up to Christmas and as the weather changes we are particularly encouraging road users to be careful and considerate.

“We will be returning to Oldham in the future to continue the operation and educate motorists about the importance of driving safely and carefully.”