MORE than 100 vehicles were stopped during a day-long crackdown against metal theft in North Yorkshire.

Multi-agency vehicle checks were set up on the A1 - at Scotch Corner and the A61 junction - and on the A645 near Eggborough to target waste carriers and vehicles capable of carrying scrap.

Police were looking for stolen metal, waste carrier licence offences, illegal and dangerous vehicles and other criminal activity.

They were joined by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency, the Department of Work and Pensions, HM Revenue and Customs’ fuel testing unit and the Environment Agency.

Traffic Sergeant John Lumbard said: “While metal theft has dropped considerably over the past few months following the introduction of Operation Tornado, we are not complacent and will carry on targeting metal thieves until they no longer pose a threat to our communities and infrastructure.

“We will continue to target criminals who use our road network to further their illegal activity and many more of these operations will follow over the coming months. North Yorkshire is one of the safest areas of the country and we are determined to keep it that way.”

If scrap metal dealers are operating in cash, they are now breaking the law and officers also visited scrap metal dealers around the county to ensure they were complying with the new laws.

*A total of 105 vehicles stopped and 14 prohibitions were issued for defective vehicles or tachograph offences, five vehicle were seized for having no insurance, seven drivers offered speed awareness courses, 19 fixed penalty notices were issued for various motoring offences, two drivers were reported for summons for tachograph offences and two people were reported for potential benefit offences