125 mph Police chase in Southport one of many Lancashire RPU sucess in removing cars from the roads
Close to 150 vehicles have been seized by police in the past week as Lancashire Police crackdown on those people breaking the law on the county’s roads.
Officers have conducted numerous traffic stops and vehicle checks, as well as using automatic number plate recognition systems to take dozens of cars, motorbikes and vans off the streets.
Between midnight on Friday (April 15) and today (Thursday April 21), 146 vehicles have been seized by police for various offences, including:
- 83 vehicles under Section 99 Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 (Abandoned vehicles). This offence also covers the recovery of stolen vehicles.
- 52 vehicles under Section 165a of the Road Traffic Act 1988. This means an officer had reasonable grounds to believe the driver was uninsured, or not driving in accordance with their licence.
- 5 vehicles under Section 59 of the Police Reform Act 2002. The officer has reasonable grounds to suspect the driver drove in an anti-social matter.
- 6 vehicles related to ongoing criminal matters.
Overnight police became aware of a stolen Ford Fiesta in Southport, close to the border between Merseyside Police and Lancashire Police.
Police patrols spotted the vehicle and engaged in a pursuit which continued into Lancashire, with the car being driven at speeds of 125mph before being stung by officers.
Three people made off from the car and at this time remain outstanding. The car was reported as stolen from St Helens, with a battery drill and pliers, likely to be used for burglaries, recovered. The car keys were later found by officers searching the area, with the vehicle to be returned to its rightful owner.