Safer Essex Roads Partnership operation leads to drink drive arrest!

A 61-year-old man has been charged with drink driving following a road policing operation in Grays yesterday (Wednesday, March 9, 2016) Officers from Essex Police led the road safety operation in partnership with the Safer Essex Roads Partnership to help reduce motoring offences and detect criminals on the county’s roads. Offenders were identified by officers patrolling in cars and on motorcycles and through Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology before being escorted to check sites on Southend Road, Corringham, Lodge Lane, Grays and the M25 Moto Services at Thurrock. This was the first time the Southend Road site had been used for the operation which is run throughout the county on a regular basis.

The 61-year-old man was arrested in Lodge Lane, Grays at 1.45pm. He was taken into custody and later charged with drink driving. Joseph McEnteggart was released on bail to appear at Basildon Magistrates’ Court on April 7, 2016.

During the operation 24 drivers were spotted not wearing a seatbelt and 13 were seen using a mobile phone behind the wheel. A total of 22 drivers were dealt with for speeding offences and 23 for not having a valid MOT for their vehicle. Four vehicles were seized because their drivers did not have the appropriate insurance. Two drivers were found to be driving otherwise than in accordance with the terms of their licence and two were issued with vehicle defect rectification notices and given 14 days to resolve the problem or face prosecution, points on their licence and/or a fine. Three drivers were spotted failing to stop for red traffic signals and another was found to be driving a vehicle that was over the legal weight limit.

Sgt Dave Rudd from the Casualty Reduction Section: “This was the first time we had used the site on Southend Road and it was disappointing to see how many drivers continue to use the roads irresponsibly either by driving carelessly, failing to ensure their vehicle is safe and insured to be driven or using a mobile phone behind the wheel. “All of these behaviours risk lives and the Casualty Reduction Section will continue to run these operations to detect criminals and help make the county’s roads a safer place for everyone who uses them.