Police seize supercars worth £6m in anti-social driving crackdown
Seventy-two luxury vehicles, including Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Bentleys, were taken off the streets last weekend in an operation targeting nuisance driving in London's West End.
The Metropolitan Police said the cars were either unroadworthy or being driven illegally.
The operation was launched following complaints from residents, businesses and visitors about high-value cars causing disruption in and around Hyde Park, Kensington and Chelsea.
Officers worked with the Motor Insurers' Bureau to issue tickets for a range of offences including driving with no insurance, no licence, disqualification, false documentation and fraudulent number plates.
Several stolen vehicles were recovered, with 10 others found to have no valid MoT and 11 without road tax.
Eight people were arrested for offences including actual bodily harm (ABH), criminal damage, drug offences, theft and immigration breaches.
Those arrested include a 22-year-old man from Hammersmith, held for ABH and criminal damage, who was remanded in custody.
Another man, aged 25 and from London, was charged with possession of a class B drug.
A 27-year-old man from Watford was arrested for theft of a motor vehicle and released under investigation.
A 23-year-old man from Twickenham was remanded after being arrested on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle, dangerous driving, failing to stop for police, driving without insurance or a licence, and drug-driving.
Three men, aged 26, 35 and 39, and a 23-year-old woman, all from London, were arrested on suspicion of immigration offences.
Special Chief Officer James Deller said the operation responded to concerns over 'high-value vehicles causing a nuisance in known hotspot areas in central and west London'.
He added: 'The Met has already reduced neighbourhood crime by 19% over recent months and we're addressing anti-social behaviour caused by uninsured drivers.
'This has been a great opportunity to work with the Motor Insurers' Bureau and for officers to speak with members of the public about the work we do, educate drivers and enforce the law.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Glasgow Times
11 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
Police seize supercars worth £6m in anti-social driving crackdown
Seventy-two luxury vehicles, including Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Bentleys, were taken off the streets last weekend in an operation targeting nuisance driving in London's West End. The Metropolitan Police said the cars were either unroadworthy or being driven illegally. The operation was launched following complaints from residents, businesses and visitors about high-value cars causing disruption in and around Hyde Park, Kensington and Chelsea. Officers worked with the Motor Insurers' Bureau to issue tickets for a range of offences including driving with no insurance, no licence, disqualification, false documentation and fraudulent number plates. Several stolen vehicles were recovered, with 10 others found to have no valid MoT and 11 without road tax. A Ferrari 812, which can cost upwards of £200,000, was seized by police during the operation (Metropolitan Police/PA) Eight people were arrested for offences including actual bodily harm (ABH), criminal damage, drug offences, theft and immigration breaches. Those arrested include a 22-year-old man from Hammersmith, held for ABH and criminal damage, who was remanded in custody. Another man, aged 25 and from London, was charged with possession of a class B drug. A 27-year-old man from Watford was arrested for theft of a motor vehicle and released under investigation. A 23-year-old man from Twickenham was remanded after being arrested on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle, dangerous driving, failing to stop for police, driving without insurance or a licence, and drug-driving. Three men, aged 26, 35 and 39, and a 23-year-old woman, all from London, were arrested on suspicion of immigration offences. Special Chief Officer James Deller said the operation responded to concerns over 'high-value vehicles causing a nuisance in known hotspot areas in central and west London'. He added: 'The Met has already reduced neighbourhood crime by 19% over recent months and we're addressing anti-social behaviour caused by uninsured drivers. 'This has been a great opportunity to work with the Motor Insurers' Bureau and for officers to speak with members of the public about the work we do, educate drivers and enforce the law.'
Telegraph
12 hours ago
- Telegraph
Facial recognition vans to hunt criminals across Britain
Vans equipped with facial recognition cameras will be deployed across Britain to catch criminals, the Home Office has announced. Ten vehicles equipped with live facial recognition (LFR) technology will be provided to police forces to find people wanted for serious crimes. Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, said that the technology would be used 'in a targeted way' to identify sex offenders and other serious criminals. The seven areas that will deploy the vans include Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, Surrey, Sussex and Thames Valley. Previously, just five forces in England, including the Metropolitan Police, and one in Wales had access to the technology. The capital's police force made 580 arrests using LFR for offences including rape, knife crime and robbery. Fifty-two sex offenders were also caught and arrested for breaching bail conditions. Forces are told they must follow guidance on how the technology is used, including measuring faces from a live feed only against police watchlists. The Home Office also announced that there will be a consultation on what safeguards and oversight are needed, with a view to creating a new legal framework for its use. The LFR police vans have two CCTV cameras positioned on the roof at the front and back, and have a sign on the side to indicate that facial recognition is in use. Lindsey Chiswick, the lead for facial recognition at the National Police Chief's Council, said that the facial recognition 'will be targeted, intelligence-led, within a set geographical location and for a defined period of time'. LFR is one of three types of facial recognition used by police. Retrospective facial recognition is used after an incident, where images from CCTV or social media are used to compare to images of people taken on arrest. Earlier this year, The Telegraph revealed that police had been told to use facial recognition searches in every investigation. Officers are encouraged to obtain pictures of targets, including witnesses and victims, from social media, doorbell footage and CCTV, and search them against the vast police national databas. A mobile app which allows officers to take a photograph of a person of interest and check their identity when they are unsure without arresting them is also in its early stages. The Home Office has also said that every neighbourhood in England and Wales has a named, contactable police officer in place. Ms Cooper said: 'Facial recognition will be used in a targeted way to identify sex offenders or people wanted for the most serious crimes who the police have not been able to find. 'That's why we're funding 10 vans and also drawing up a new legal framework, so we've got proper safeguards and checks in place so that we can use the technology to go after the most dangerous criminals.'
Leader Live
15 hours ago
- Leader Live
Police seize supercars worth £6m in anti-social driving crackdown
Seventy-two luxury vehicles, including Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Bentleys, were taken off the streets last weekend in an operation targeting nuisance driving in London's West End. The Metropolitan Police said the cars were either unroadworthy or being driven illegally. The operation was launched following complaints from residents, businesses and visitors about high-value cars causing disruption in and around Hyde Park, Kensington and Chelsea. Officers worked with the Motor Insurers' Bureau to issue tickets for a range of offences including driving with no insurance, no licence, disqualification, false documentation and fraudulent number plates. Several stolen vehicles were recovered, with 10 others found to have no valid MoT and 11 without road tax. Eight people were arrested for offences including actual bodily harm (ABH), criminal damage, drug offences, theft and immigration breaches. Those arrested include a 22-year-old man from Hammersmith, held for ABH and criminal damage, who was remanded in custody. Another man, aged 25 and from London, was charged with possession of a class B drug. A 27-year-old man from Watford was arrested for theft of a motor vehicle and released under investigation. A 23-year-old man from Twickenham was remanded after being arrested on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle, dangerous driving, failing to stop for police, driving without insurance or a licence, and drug-driving. Three men, aged 26, 35 and 39, and a 23-year-old woman, all from London, were arrested on suspicion of immigration offences. Special Chief Officer James Deller said the operation responded to concerns over 'high-value vehicles causing a nuisance in known hotspot areas in central and west London'. He added: 'The Met has already reduced neighbourhood crime by 19% over recent months and we're addressing anti-social behaviour caused by uninsured drivers. 'This has been a great opportunity to work with the Motor Insurers' Bureau and for officers to speak with members of the public about the work we do, educate drivers and enforce the law.'
