AFTER hearing residents’ concerns firsthand at a community meeting in Welton Rovers, Avon and Somerset Police recently carried out a targeted traffic operation in Midsomer Norton.

Operation Check took place on Thursday, July 31, near Fowlers Garage and was launched in direct response to concerns raised by residents about noisy and unsafe vehicles at a previous meeting attended by Sergeant Lee Humphries.

In total, officers stopped 27 vehicles during the operation. Of those, 16 drivers were issued tickets for a range of driving offences, four were given defect rectification notices requiring vehicle repairs, and two vehicles were seized for having no insurance.

Five tickets were issued for seatbelt offences, including one case involving three young children travelling in the back of a vehicle without seatbelts. Six drivers were fined for modified noisy exhausts, and two were penalised for using a mobile phone while driving.

One vehicle was found to have no valid tax, and another driver was cited for transporting an unsecured animal. In addition to formal enforcement, officers also engaged with several drivers to offer advice on vehicle condition and driving behaviour.

Sergeant Lee Humphries, said: “The operation I feel was a success for driving standards and safety around MSN and we plan to run it again.”