POLICE have hailed a joint operation to crack down on car crime in the West Mercia as a success after more than 150 untaxed vehicles were clamped.

Operation MeerKat was a 10-day joint offensive between the DVLA and West Mercia and, during the initiative, a total of 167 untaxed vehicles in the West Mercia area were clamped.

A total of 12 motorists were given fixed penalty notices for having un-roadworthy vehicles, 10 were stopped for driving without insurance and eight motorists were caught driving without a valid MOT certificate.

One arrest was also made for driving while disqualified. The operation was part of an initiative by DVLA and West Mercia Police to target untaxed vehicles, the drivers of which are often involved in other criminal activity such as drugs, anti- social behaviour, burglary and violent crime.

It also removes potentially dangerous vehicles, often without MOT and insurance, from the road.

Commenting on the operation's success, Acting Sergeant Andy Wallace of West Mercia Police said: "We're working closely with DVLA to remind drivers not taxing their vehicle is against the law.

"Some of the vehicles clamped over the last two weeks were un-roadworthy and potentially dangerous, putting both their drivers and the public at risk."