POLICE have been stopping vehicles in search of dangerous goods and defects.

Officers from Cleveland & Durham Roads Policing Unit and North Yorkshire Police alongside partners from the DVSA and Border force staff carried out an operation to ensure the safe carriage of dangerous goods through Cleveland.

The operation also included various other commercial vehicles carrying non-dangerous goods.

Over the course of three days last week, dozens of vehicle checks were carried out at Excelby Services & Teesport.

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Defects on stopped vehicles included a fuel leak, defective lights and issues with vehicle markings and documentation were found.

In vehicles carrying non-dangerous goods, there were a number of issues with insecure loads, cracked windscreens, defective tyres suspension and lights and vehicles carrying excess weight.

All vehicles tyre treads were checked and some were found below the legal limit.

Sergeant Mark Kewley said: “We all have a responsibility to ensure that our vehicles are fit for the road, particularly when these vehicles carry dangerous goods which can be toxic and extremely damaging.

“We have carried out this operation to ensure that those drivers and companies involved have safe roadworthy vehicles on our roads so that we can keep people as safe as we possibly can.”

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