DOZENS of van, lorry and HGV drivers have been stopped as part of a multi-agency operation to clamp down on driving offences on North-East roads.

Sixty nine separate offences were recorded by officers from Cleveland and Durham Specialist Operations Unit (CDSOU), Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and the Driver and Vehicles Standards Agency (DVSA) during a week of activity.

Six lorries, 19 vans and 44 HGVs were stopped during the regional operation with six drivers issued with fixed penalties for excess and insecure loads and defective tyres.

Other offences dealt with earlier this month included travelling with no operator’s licence, no waste carriage licence and fraudulent use of tachographs to give fake recordings of speed.

CDSOU’s Chief Inspector Graham Milne said: “Operations like this one are extremely important.

“Many of the vehicles that we have stopped have been found to have defects which could compromise the safety of their drivers and other road users.

“In order to keep people as safe as possible on our roads we need to continue to work together with partner agencies to detect offences like these and ensure that they are dealt with appropriately.”

Eight prohibitions were also issued to ensure issues found were resolved within a set time limit.