Officers accompanied by staff from partner agencies took part in a joint strike day – called Operation Tornado – on main roads in the Craven Arms and Bridgnorth areas.

Sergeant Adrian Woolley co-ordinated Wednesday’s action which saw scores of vehicles being checked and a series of penalties imposed.

He said among those taking part were the West Mercia Safer Roads Partnership, Special Constables, Trading Standards, Customs and Excise, the DVLA and the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA). Scanning devices were also used to identify property and benefit fraud checks were conducted.

“All the agencies worked together to have an impact on criminals travelling around the south Shropshire area. Drivers compromising road safety thereby putting lives at risk, were also targeted.”

He said intelligence was utilised and gathered during the operation both from the local police and through working with Dyfed Powys Police and West Mercia colleagues in Herefordshire.

Sergeant Woolley said: “When stopped by police using Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), suspect vehicles were escorted to a nearby site to be checked by the agencies involved.

“Various fines were issued and several dangerous vehicles seized and taken off the road.”

Offences detected included one person’s benefits being withdrawn when they were found to be working and four other similar cases are being followed up. Shropshire Trading Standards gathered a number of leads which are also being followed up.

Customs and Excise had four positive results concerning the use of illegal fuel in vehicles. On the spot fines were issued ranging from £250 to £1,400 for offences involving the use of kerosene and red diesel.

Seven motorists were found to have vehicle defects including bald tyres and illegal lighting. Two cars were towed away for being unroadworthy.

A delivery driver was tested for driving while impaired and searched for drugs while one foreign driver did not have a proper licence. Two people were stopped for illegal use of mobile phones while driving and four others for speeding offences.