LATEST figures suggest there are around 1m uninsured drivers on Britain's roads, but in North Yorkshire police have pledged to catch as many as they can.

Throughout January, North Yorkshire Police's Roads Policing Group will carry out checks across the region's roads using a mix of methods and technology.

Across the country, police checking for undesirable motorists rely on Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) on cameras and in police cars equipped with the technology.

The Northern Echo:

But Traffic Sergeant Mark Patterson of the force said illegal drivers will be taken off the roads in a number of 'days of action,' across North Yorkshire.

'A lack of insurance is just the start'

He said: "Tackling uninsured drivers makes North Yorkshire safer for everyone, and our aim is to take as many off the road as possible.

“But a lack of insurance is often just the start – a number of other offences typically unravel when we stop and investigate these drivers.

The Northern Echo:

"They might be people who can’t buy insurance because don’t even have a driving licence, or they might be involved in criminal networks such as drugs or theft."

The force said those who choose to drive without a licence or in unroadworthy vehicles were often linked to other forms of criminality.

Sergeant Patterson said: “My message to all uninsured drivers is simple – we’re onto you. The tactics and technology we’ll be using will be virtually impossible to evade.

“If you drive without insurance, we will catch you, we will seize your vehicle and you could start 2020 with an extremely costly court appearance. It’s really not worth the risk.”

North Yorkshire Police said there are an estimated 1m uninsured drivers in the UK, which continued to pose a major risk to law-abiding road users.

Last year, the Motor Insurance Bureau said it recorded 26,000 personal injury claims relating to crashes involving uninsured drivers. 

It revealed the figures, as almost 133,000 uninsured vehicles were seized across the UK in 2018.