Police launch major clampdown on wanted criminals (From Harwich and Manningtree Standard)

Police launch major clampdown on wanted criminals

3:00pm Friday 2nd October 2009

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THE net was tightening on wanted criminals this week as police launched a major clampdown on Tendring's road network.

Checkpoints were set up on the main roads into the district on Wednesday in a bid to trap crooks and rogue drivers.

By lunch-time a number of people were already being held on suspicion of prostitution and drugs offences.

Officers armed with the latest radar technology recorded thousands of vehicle number plates on the A133 between Weeley and Great Bentley and the A120 at Horsley Cross.

Every single vehicle was checked on the massive police database to see if it was stolen or been driven by wanted crooks.

Police say the routes in and out of the district are used by known criminals.

Officers started carrying out the checks at 7.30am and were set to continue into the night. Police pursuit cars were on standby to stop vehicles.

By midday the crackdown - codenamed Operation Flex - had already snared around 20 suspects.

Insp Paul Wells said: "A number of people have been stopped for a range of offences ranging from drugs to prostitution."

Vehicles were also seized for having no insurance.

Around 20 officers took part in the operation. Police from Tendring were joined by the Essex force's new territorial support team.

Operation Flex comes hot in the heels of a similar crackdown in Clacton.

"We have been carrying out a similar operation to this on a smaller scale in Jaywick and have seen some great results," said Sgt Gavin Watson, of Clacton police.

"Our aim is to put a halt to criminals using our road networks to carry out illegal activities and to give the message to everyone in the district that unlawful behaviour is unacceptable."

He added: "This is not about punishing the law-abiding resident or the responsible road user, we want to make the area a safe and enjoyable place to be and will not tolerate those who threaten that."

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