During a road safety operation on Tuesday, July 5, 2022, patrols from the Road Safety Unit stopped the car in the town centre. The drugs and baton were seized, and the man was arrested on suspicion of having class B drugs and an offensive weapon in his possession. He was later released on bail pending further investigation.
Throughout the day, Kent Police officers used a mix of marked and unmarked vehicles, including police bikes, to ensure that motorists in the town followed the rules. They were joined by Dartford Borough Council and the Environment Agency representatives, who were focusing on waste crime and taxi licencing.
During the operation, two drivers were stopped and arrested on suspicion of drug driving. Both drivers were initially stopped for driving without insurance and then failed a roadside drug test. Another driver was stopped and arrested on suspicion of illegally taking a vehicle.
Officers stopped a flatbed transit lorry carrying hardcore because it weighed more than 8 tonnes, which was more than 130 percent more than the legal maximum weight of 3.5 tonnes. He was summoned to court and now faces a fine of over £2,000 for exceeding the legal weight of the lorry and driving a dangerous and unsuitable motor vehicle.
Two other drivers were issued a Traffic Offence Report (TOR) for having insecure loads, and 23 additional TORs were issued to motorists for a variety of traffic offences such as speeding, driving without a seatbelt, defective tyres, running a red light, parking and unloading goods on a zebra crossing, and driving without a MOT or motor insurance.
‘Road safety is a shared responsibility, and we work regularly with our partners to help educate motorists and enforce the law to ensure everyone gets to their destinations safely,’ said Inspector Ian Warner of Kent Police’s Roads Policing Unit.
‘It is critical that we conduct these regular operations because we continue to see some drivers breaking the law, from speeding or not wearing seatbelts to driving cars that are not roadworthy or driving after consuming drugs or alcohol.’ This is simply unacceptable, and we will continue to conduct spot checks across the county for the benefit of all road users who should feel safe travelling on our roads.
‘We fully support Kent County Council’s Vision Zero strategy to eliminate road fatalities and are committed to playing our part by enforcing the law against those who drive dangerously or irresponsibly and will continue to raise awareness of the risks of doing so.’
