Hundreds of motorists were pulled over by Wiltshire Police in Marlborough yesterday in a bid to crack down on rural crime and road safety.

Wiltshire Police’s Rural Crime Team and Marlborough Neighbourhood Police Team had between six and seven officers in four locations, Avebury, Burbage, Froxfield and the Bay Bridges layby between 8am and 3pm.

They worked alongside officers from Thames Valley, Gloucester and Hampshire police forces to restrict travelling criminals using the road network.

The day of action was led by PCSO John Bordiss from the Rural Crime Team and PC Dave Tippetts, Community Beat Manager for the Marlborough Neighbourhood Policing Team.

Pc Tippetts said: “Rural crime and road safety are two of the sector priorities for Marlborough.

“Our intelligence suggests, not unsurprisingly, that the road network is used by travelling criminals to commit rural crime, dwelling burglaries, those sorts of crimes.

“Our intention is to prevent criminals using the road network and make sure people are using the road safely.

“Although results are good, it’s not results driven, it’s about increasing public safety and public confidence.”

Gazette photographer Siobhan Boyle was pulled over for having illegal number plates. She said: “I was sent out to the wrong job. I unwittingly turned up to the rural crime day of action with illegal number plates which is a bit embarrassing.

“I’ve seen the error of my ways and I’ll be getting them sorted.”

The operation was organised off the back of the success of a similar operation that took place in March when more than 350 cars were stopped throughout the day.

Officers also worked with partners from the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency, HM Revenue and Customs, the Department for Work and Pensions and Wiltshire Council, carrying out vehicle, fuel and licence checks as well as identifying offences relating to benefit fraud and animal welfare.

In the first two hours of the operation alone there were two prohibition orders issued, two vehicle defect notices and a driver was pulled over for having no insurance.

Angus Macpherson, Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire, said: “It is important that days like this happen every so often, unannounced.

"They are intensive and they are across the county so we get a good chance to disrupt criminality.

"They give the public reassurance that the police are there, they’re very high profile, and also they give people the opportunity to get advice on motoring problems.”

PCSO John Bordiss, from Wiltshire Police’s rural crime team, said: “This operation was a great example of multi agency working at its best.
 
“Bringing together regulatory experts such as HMRC, Roads Policing Unit and Wiltshire Council enables us to target offenders robustly and efficiently.

“Our actions in Marlborough were mirrored in Highworth, Warminster and our neighbouring police force areas, showing a high level of commitment by all involved to preventing and detecting criminality in our rural areas.”

PC Tippetts said: “With over 300 vehicles stopped it was pleasing to see the vast majority were road worthy and legal.

"Those that weren’t have been dealt with robustly as our priority is for people to be able to use the road network safely."

In the Marlborough/Highworth area:

• 351 vehicles were stopped
• 9 Fixed Penalty Notices were given
• 9 Vehicle Defect Rectification Notices were handed out
• 3 Prohibition notices were served
• 9 verbal warnings were given
• One person was summonsed to court for traffic offences
• 1 vehicle was seized
• 15 anglers were stop checked around the fishing lakes of Swindon and one person reported for no rod license. They had their fishing equipment seized.
• Officers attended 16 farms to engage with the local community