A SERIES of vehicle checks across North Yorkshire resulted in three taxis and nine goods vehicles being taken off the road.

The first checks, carried out on Friday afternoon and evening, involved 11 taxis in Northallerton and Stokesley being pulled over for routine examination.

The operation was carried out by North Yorkshire Government Agencies Intelligence Network (Gain), North Yorkshire Police, the Vehicle Inspectorate, the Department of Works and Pensions and Hambleton District Council.

Three drivers were issued with prohibition notices, forcing them to take their car off the road immediately, because of serious defects with the tyres and/or suspension. Minor defects were found on five further vehicles.

Sergeant Chris Charlton, of the Eastern Road Policing Group, said the operation was necessary to check and improve safety standards on taxis. "It is essential that safety standards are maintained at a high level, in order to minimise the possibility of them being involved in accidents," he said.

A second set of checks was carried out on Sunday involving North Yorkshire Gain, police, the Vehicle Inspectorate and Customs and Excise.

The operation was put together after fears that goods vehicles involved in the delivery of newspapers were over-loaded and unroadworthy.

Checks on 21 vans in the Eastfield Industrial Estate area of Scarborough saw five vehicles being taken off the road because they were over-loaded and a further four because of serious defects.

Five more drivers were issued with delayed prohibition notices, ordering them to fix minor defects on their vehicles immediately.