A POLICE crackdown on potentially dangerous vehicles is under way in the region.

Durham Police are staging the two-week safety campaign to make motorists more aware of the need to maintain cars, vans and motorcycles in a roadworthy condition.

A series of roadside checks will be looking out for worn tyres, faulty exhausts, defective handbrakes and broken lights across the force area until May 25.

Notices will be issued warning owners of poorly-maintained vehicles to carry out repairs or risk a fine of £60, plus three penalty points.

In more serious cases, a court summons may follow.

All of the force's 130 traffic officers will be involved in the checks at various locations.

Road safety experts in the force are determined owners should do everything possible to avoid putting themselves, or other road-users and pedestrians at risk.

Head of traffic Inspector Wilf Lavery said: "The message is simple, safe vehicles save lives.

"Our traffic officers will be looking for obvious defects, such as worn tyres, bodywork in a poor condition or windscreen wipers which don't work correctly.

"Many of the faults we come across are the sort of things drivers should be checking on a regular basis anyway."

Owners who are handed a defect notice must take their vehicles to an MOT-approved garage to have the problem corrected at the first opportunity.

The form must then be stamped by the garage and the police notified within 14 days.

Durham Police issued 4,469 such notices within the force area last year.