A 3.5 tonne Luton van carrying frozen poultry in an unrefrigerated vehicle, while also 55% overweight, was among the vehicles stopped by Sussex police in a multi-agency operation.
Vehicle checks on the A27 at Beddingham, near Lewes, on Thursday, 13 April, led to several drivers being penalised over the state of their vehicles and driving documentation.
Sussex Police issued five fixed penalty notices for vehicles found to have no MoT and one for a vehicle with a defective tyre. Six vehicles were seized after being found to be without road tax and another driver found without insurance had to buy cover on the spot.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (formerly VOSA – the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency) issued six immediate prohibition orders against drivers using defective vehicles, five delayed prohibitions, two fixed penalty notices and one immobilisation for a driver exceeding his hours at the wheel.
PC Barry Freeman, of the Sussex roads policing unit at Polegate, said: “The worst two offenders during several hours of checks at the Beddingham weighbridge were a 3.5 tonne Luton van, found to be 55 per cent overweight and transporting frozen poultry in a non-refrigerated vehicle, details of which were passed to trading standards, and a 26-tonne grab lorry with broken rear springs, loose u-bolts and a dangerous load.
“This should be a reminder to all drivers that it is their responsibility to ensure that their vehicles are roadworthy, and that both they and their vehicles are properly documented at all times.”
