Police crackdown targets organised crime on Lincolnshire's roads

Police say the latest phase of Operation Foxtail focused on disrupting criminal networks using the county's roads through fraudulent driving documents, illegal working and other offences.

Enforcement days took place in Boston, Sleaford and Lincoln during June, involving Lincolnshire Police alongside officers from Immigration Enforcement, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) and HM Revenue and Customs.

In Boston, around 60 vehicles were stopped, leading to five immigration-related arrests, five vehicle seizures and a number of traffic offence reports.

Officers also gathered intelligence into a business suspected of facilitating illegal working.

In Sleaford, a 24-year-old man was arrested after allegedly failing to stop for police before leading officers on a foot chase across fields during one of the hottest days of June.

He was arrested on suspicion of failing to stop, drug driving and driving without insurance, before also being identified as wanted by another force in connection with a burglary investigation.

Meanwhile in Lincoln, around 50 vehicles were stopped. Officers made three arrests, including a man wanted by Humberside Police and another who was detained by immigration officers.

A further 12 traffic offence reports were issued, while several vehicles were seized or prohibited from being driven because of safety concerns.

Inspector Carrie Diamond, from Lincolnshire Police's Specialist Operations Unit, said: "This operation demonstrates the power of a highly coordinated taskforce.

"By bringing together specialist resources and expertise, we are disrupting criminality head on, targeting those who exploit our road network believing they can operate undetected, and protecting the communities we serve.

"This kind of operation sends a clear message that criminal activity will not be tolerated on our roads."