CRIMINALS travelling between Cheshire and Merseyside were in for a shock from Cheshire and Merseyside Police this morning.

The forces launched Operation Crossbow on Wednesday, aiming to disrupt pillegal road activity targeting vehicles linked to crime disorder. 

They were on the hunt for cars with no insurance or tax, criminals looking to escape after committing offences like burglary, road crime like speeding, or anyone carrying drugs. 

Several locations were set up as stop points, with one in Warrington, and several in Widnes. 

Around 110 officers from Cheshire Police and Merseyside Police were brought in for the operation. 

 

Figures show there were: 

More than 100 vehicles stopped 

4 Arrests (1 x recall to prison, 2 wanted on warrant and 1 wanted for a sexual offence) 

7 Endorsable fixed penalty notices 

3 non-endorsable fixed penalty notices 

1 person fined for red diesel 

8 notices issued by trading standards 

4 people reported for benefit fraud

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Beachamp from Cheshire Police said: "Criminals rely on the road network to enable them to commit criminal offences.

"They don’t view force boundaries as a bar to committing these offences and will often cross borders to conduct their activity. T

"here is a link between the illegal use of vehicles and other serious crime.

"Working with partner agencies and colleagues from Merseyside Police we are deploying a great range of resources and have access to technology and intelligence such as Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), which is an excellent tool to identify offenders and bring them to justice.

"Uninsured drivers pose a threat to other road users and we are able to identify them, take them off the road and make the county’s road network much safer for legal road users.

"Cheshire and Merseyside Police are committed to working in collaboration to proactively target those who choose to commit crime to fund their lifestyles and days such as today are set to continue."

You can report illegal use of vehicles to the police on 101 or anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.