London Stop Checks

[R1-Jay]

Im not hiding anything, but over the last week or so, ive noticed a large number of police checks in and around london.

Yesterday i went through 3! all with stopped vehicles, loads of police on foot, bikes waiting and high speed pursuit in the next lay by!

anyone know what the huge presence is for?

[Rawhide]

Bernard Hogan Howe. I expect it a very visible part of his 'total policing' campaign.

[essexplumber]

I'd have a wild stab in the dark and suggest it may have something to do with the Olympics.

[NHK244V]

ANPR persuit vehicals so it'll be no insurance tax or mot, passed a few meself last night, they were dipping some vans to test for red as well.

[AndrewW-G]

Sounds a little too much like "Papiere Bitte" for my liking . . . . .pity the same zero tolerance approach, can’t be taken with the far more serious crimes seemingly left to go on without police intervention.

[mgtony]

Was just about to write this on the red diesel thread when someone asked about the odds of getting stopped. Passed them on Ferry Lane in Tottenham, again at the back of Finsbury Park and again through Camden, usually got a traffic car waiting ahead for those who don't stop, even seen them stand with a stinger at the Finsbury one!
Was nearly all cars pulled in. They didn't seem to be bothered by cars that moved over to the right hand lane and then took the right turn just before where they were pulling the vehicles over!

[Ozzie Osmond]

Don't know what's triggered it but a mate of mine got pulled over for one of those checks. Apparently bib crawled all over the car, inside and out, then nicked him for a weak handbrake (3 points) and told him he couldn't drive the car so had to ring for an expensive tow.

Wonder what they're up to; and why?

[Fastdruid]

Ozzie Osmond said:

Don't know what's triggered it but a mate of mine got pulled over for one of those checks. Apparently bib crawled all over the car, inside and out, then nicked him for a weak handbrake (3 points) and told him he couldn't drive the car so had to ring for an expensive tow.

How can you test that except on a brake tester? Unless I suppose it was so far gone that it wouldn't even hold the car.

My mondeo passed its MOT for 3 years with a 'poor' handbrake, (18% IIRC) until I finally got round to dismantling the hubs, replacing the shoes and cleaning and lubing the auto-adjuster (poor design).

[Nigel Worc's]

I've never heard of a "weak handbrake offence", when did that come in ?

[PlankWithANailIn]

While this kind of stuff is annoying to us regular folk, they do find a lot of dodgy stuff and catch a load of real criminals, i.e. Drugs, knives, guns and stolen stuff also found in the cars stopped. Same with big checks on train ticket usage, guys without tickets often have Drugs, knives, guns and stolen stuff....Stop one crime get two free..

Apparently causes a noticeable drop in reported petty crime shortly after.....

[Ozzie Osmond]

Fastdruid said:

How can you test that except on a brake tester? Unless I suppose it was so far gone that it wouldn't even hold the car.

Yup, apparently a copper the size of your average garden shed got behind and pushed the car with handbrake applied. I'm told they were really giving a thorough inspection of every vehicle they stopped. One guy was taken off the road because his car battery wasn't bolted down and plod declared it unsafe.

[Ozzie Osmond]

Nigel Worc's said:

I've never heard of a "weak handbrake offence", when did that come in ?

I think you'll find it falls within the overall "vehicle not roadworthy".

[Changedmyname]

[MattGTA]

I was stopped in one of the three I passed on Friday morning between South East London and Canary Wharf.

No complaints - polite policeman had me in and out in less than five minutes having checked tax, insurance, tyres, lights and seatbelts.

[iva cosworth]

There was one in Mitcham opposite the fire station on Thursday and i stopped my HGV in their

coned off area to do a delivery.Plod not pleased.

In my opinion more roadchecks the better,all the illegals get pulled off road.

[Sparta VAG]

Here's your answer:

http://content.met.police.uk/News/MPS-Crackdown-On...

Looks like an uninsured driver/dodgy vehicle/crims using vehicles Op. 1900 cars seized over 5 days and 80 arrests. Sounds ok until they say there are 255,000 uninsured vehicles in London.

[AndyACB]

I wondered what they were up to, they were out in force in Hanworth on the A312 on Thursday.

No sign of an ANPR van though, just a load of plod scattered on the pavement pulling people into a side road for checks.

[muhuha]

NHK244V said:

ANPR persuit vehicals so it'll be no insurance tax or mot, passed a few meself last night, they were dipping some vans to test for red as well.

Just goes to show their '2011 stay insured' law is of no use at all really. Instead of driving with no insurance on the vehicle and just tax, just sorn the vehicle and drive it anyway.

[furrywoolyhatuk]

There was an anpr trap on the way out of Kingston, near the New Malden roundabout. They had a few punters checked in. If it get all the uninsured drivers of the roads it gets my vote.

[Perd Hapley]

essexplumber said:

I'd have a wild stab in the dark and suggest it may have something to do with the Olympics.

If this is how we're assembling TeamGB then we're not going to win many medals.