POLICE carrying out stop checks on lorries and trucks last week issued more than £2,000 worth of fines in just three days.

Officers from the Cheshire Police Commercial Vehicle Unit, based in Winsford, and the Road Policing Investigation Unit, joined teams from the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) and Customs and Excise during the three-day operation at Dunkirk Weighbridge close to Junction 16 of the M56.

A total of 13 graduated fixed penalty notices (GPTN) were issued, worth a combined total of £2,140.

A maximum of three tickets can be issued per vehicle, and were issued for offences including tachograph violations, overweight vehicles or drivers who have not taken the required breaks or have been behind the wheel for too long.

Five of the 27 vehicles inspected were prohibited as a result and two vehicles were immobilised at the site until the fines were paid.

Staff from Customs and Excise were also present during the operation, ‘dipping’ fuel tanks to check for red diesel.

PC Dave Clegg and PC Adam Morrall are the two officers responsible for running the Commercial Vehicle unit, which has been monitoring Cheshire’s motorway network for the past two years.

PC Clegg said: “During this time 1,000 GPTNs have been issued, totalling £160,000, and 700 vehicles have been taken off the roads, all in the name of road safety.”

Sgt Rachel Gallagher of the Road Policing Unit added: “Many HGVs use our roads and accidents involving these vehicles are often very serious.

“Taking proactive action is so important – it means that accidents caused by tired drivers or unsafe loads can be avoided.”