THREE drivers were fined £540 each for using illegal fuel, while and 10 cars were found to be unroadworthy during a police operation in Cwmbran.

On Friday, Gwent Police, along with HMRC, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), Torfaen Licensing and Trading standards, brought 70 vehicles into the car park next to Cwmbran Stadium to be examined to see if they were safe to drive.

Of these, three were found to be using red diesel - a type of fuel used for tractors and agricultural vehicles, which is cheaper than regular diesel, but is illegal to use while driving on a public road - and 10 were unroadworthy, while a further 21 traffic incident reports were issued for offences including drivers using mobile phones, failing to wear seat belts, illegal tyres and for illegal registration plates.

READ MORE:

One person was found to be driving whilst disqualified, five were found to be driving without insurance and had their vehicles seized, and another vehicle was seized for not being taxed.

The day was part of Operation Utah, which aims to identify drivers who put other motorists at risk by driving illegally or in vehicles not up to a safe standard.

West Area Support Unit Inspector Wendy Keepin, who led the operation, said: "These operations are a real joint effort between a variety of different agencies, in an effort to make Torfaen roads as safe as possible.

“This operation helps to tackle those road users who drive recklessly and endanger other road users by driving vehicles with dangerous defects or by not adhering to safety regulations.

"I hope these results send out a clear message to anyone using our road in an unsafe way that this is not acceptable and when identified, they will be dealt with robustly.

"I would like to thank everyone that made this operation possible and we look forward to working together again on Operation Utah in the future."

In total, 21 traffic offences were reported, including:

  • One driver found driving whilst disqualified.
  • Five drivers found without insurance.
  • Ten vehicles were immediately prohibited by DVSA from leaving the site due to them not being roadworthy.
  • Five vehicles were seized for no insurance and one for no tax.
  • Three vehicles were found to be using ‘red diesel’ by HMRC, these vehicles were seized and the drivers given on the spot fines of £540.