Seven Vehicles Seized in Joint Operation

Middlesbrough neighbourhood team officers carried out a joint operation with Middlesbrough Council which saw seven vehicles seized and one man arrested.

On Sunday 8^th and Monday 9^th December, the proactive operation saw officers and council colleagues checking vehicles for road traffic offences including no tax, no insurance and no MOT.

Three vehicles were seized on Sunday (8^th December) when a stolen vehicle was found on Burwell Road, a white BMW was found with no insurance on Alan Peacock Way and another on the same road had no tax or MOT. The blue Ford Focus had already been found to have no insurance the previous month.

On Monday 9^th December, four vehicles were seized after being found with no tax.

Additionally, a 36-year-old man from Middlesbrough was arrested and charged with wilful obstruction of a highway after allegedly blocking the road with a van to prevent the recovery of another vehicle.

The man will appear at Teesside Magistrates Court in January 2025.

Acting Sergeant Dan Smythe, from Middlesbrough Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “Often, vehicles that are uninsured or without tax have or are being used in other crime, and so it’s important for us to not only make sure that vehicles are being used safely on our roads, but also to check that other criminal offences are not being committed.

“We will continue to work alongside colleagues from Middlesbrough Council on operations like this, and we thank the law-abiding majority who do drive their vehicles safely and legally.”

Councillor Janet Thompson, Middlesbrough Council’s Executive member for Neighbourhoods, said: “I fully support these operations which show how partnership working like this makes a big difference to communities across Middlesbrough. 

“We know that untaxed and uninsured vehicles can be used to carry out criminal activity, which makes it so important for officers to be proactive and continue to take them off the streets.”