Supercars worth £7m seized across London

Telegraph

5 days ago

Supercars worth almost £7million have been seized in a police crackdown across London as the force warned that driving an expensive vehicle did not put anyone above the law.
A pair of identical purple Lamborghinis were among more than 70 vehicles impounded in response to antisocial and dangerous driving.
The cars seized across Hyde Park, Kensington and Chelsea included Ferraris, Porsches and Mercedes-Benz.
The Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB) said the Lamborghinis, which were uninsured, had been flown into Britain for their owner's summer trip.
One of the two drivers had been in the country for just two hours and had only been driving for 15 minutes before the car was seized.
The MIB said several cars had been brought into Britain from abroad, with drivers relying on motor insurance from their home countries without verifying whether those policies provided valid coverage.
In addition to the 72 vehicles seized, many of which were uninsured or inadequately covered, officers also detected other criminal activity.
This included individuals wanted for ABH, criminal damage, drug offences, stolen vehicles, immigration offences and fraudulent insurance policies, known as 'ghost broking'.
Several tickets were also issued for offences including driving without a valid licence, using a mobile phone while driving, lack of a valid MOT, illegally tinted windows, not wearing a seatbelt and operating vehicles in a dangerous condition.
Some individuals had made innocent mistakes, such as updating DVLA about the use of a personalised number plate but failing to notify their insurer.
Seventy-five officers from a Met specialist team took part.
Special Chief Officer James Deller said: 'The Met is committed to tackling antisocial behaviour.
'This operation was set up to respond to resident, business and visitors' concerns about high-value vehicles causing a nuisance in known hotspot areas in central and west London.
'Already the Met has reduced neighbourhood crime by 19 per cent compared to the same time last year and we're addressing antisocial behaviour caused by uninsured drivers.'
He thanked colleagues 'volunteer their time to help drive down crime across London'.
Martin Saunders, of MIB, said: 'We urge all motorists to check their insurance policy is appropriate for their needs and to reach out to their insurer if they are unsure.
'While many offenders knowingly violated the law, others fell victim to simple mistakes such as bounced payments, failed renewals or incorrect details. With growing concern over seasonal hotspots and tourist-linked offences, the Met and MIB plan to continue enforcement and education efforts throughout the year. We don't want any driver to become uninsured in the first place.'