MOTORING miscreants have been caught in another operation by North Wales Police.

In Meirionnydd, several motorists were warned about the seriousness of vehicle defects and one uninsured driver had their vehicle seized.

A stolen van in Llan Ffestiniog was also found by the force.

Officers from the Roads Policing Unit carried out proactive patrols as part of their ongoing #OpDarwen campaign – an annual campaign which runs from early spring through until the autumn, which is aimed at promoting driver and rider safety and sees high visibility patrols being carried out along key routes which have been identified as high risk areas.

The campaign sees officers from the Roads Policing Unit, the Armed Alliance Unit and Special Constabulary Road Safety Unit engage with riders and drivers at popular meeting spots, and they also work closely with Dyfed-Powys Police along the border routes and colleagues from Go Safe.

Last Saturday, officers were joined by a vehicle examiner from the Forensic Collision Investigation Unit and an officer from the Special Constabulary Road Safety Unit who were checking vehicles and motorcycles at the roadside in Bala and Betws-y-Coed. No major defects were found but words of advice were given to several drivers and riders.

One driver, who was initially stopped in Bala for not wearing a seatbelt, was discovered to be driving without insurance so his vehicle was seized.

Superintendent Jane Banham from the force’s Operational Support Services said: “So far in 2018, tragically we have already seen several fatal and serious collisions on the roads of north Wales. Last year we had eight fatal collisions involving motorcycles and so far this year we’ve had six – and we are only in May.

“Reducing casualties on our roads remains one of our top priorities. We want people to enjoy coming to north Wales travelling on some great roads, but most of all we want them to ride and drive safely and responsibly."

See this week’s north papers for the full story, available in shops and as a digital edition now