POLICE seized six vehicles in Worcester in only a few hours as drivers who broke the law found they had nowhere to hide.

Officers stopped 15 vehicles and seized six (four for no insurance and two for no tax) while criminal proceedings began against two drivers for mobile phone offences and two drivers who were behind the wheel without a full licence.

Automatic numberplate recognition (ANPR) cameras issued alerts to officers in marked and unmarked cars and police motorbikes during the operation in Tolladine Road today (Wednesday).

The Worcester News was allowed to accompany officers in an unmarked car during the operation led byWest Mercia's safer neighbourhood officers and assisted by members of the force operations tasking team.

However, the officers were not merely relying on technology, often using their instincts and observations to spot infringement, relaying registration numbers via their radios so they could be checked against various databases including the Police National Computer and motor insurance and DVLA databases.

PC Jon Griffith of the Gorse Hill and Rainbow Hill Safer Neighbourhood Team said of the operation: "We were responding to local residents complaining about antisocial behaviour, antisocial driving, excessive speed and we were also trying to reduce harm by tackling those who supply drugs in the area."

The first vehicle pulled over by officers was a black Citroen C4 travelling along Tolladine Road in the direction of Warndon because an officer saw the driver using a mobile telephone while driving.

The officer at one stage accelerated and pulled alongside her to check she was on her mobile phone.

When he pulled her over in Ambleside Drive, Warndon, she said: "I thought you were just some random person trying to overtake me."

The details will now be relayed to the central ticket officer to decide how the driver will be punished.

The punishment could be three penalty points and a £100 fine. Sometimes driver improvement courses may be offered.

The officer, who did not wish to be named, said: "I saw her drive past holding her mobile phone. It is now for the central ticket office to decide what to do with her."

The next car pulled over was a silver Rover 400. The driver did not have a full driving licence (provisional licence holder only) and will be dealt with for driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence, driving without insurance and no tax.

The vehicle was seized and loaded onto an Auto Support recovery vehicle alongside a blue Ford Focus which had been seized earlier because the driver had no tax.

The 32-year-old driver, who told officers he had been driving 15 years, said: "I'm getting a ban. I have six points already so I'm screwed.

"Today was just a stupid one. There is no point in lying about it. As soon as you put me into the computer it's going to go 'beep, beep, beep'."

Officers also conducted a search of a silver Subaru Impreza but this came back negative while police reports came back over the radio of another driver 'playing cat and mouse' with police in the back roads of Tolladine.

A white Mazda was seized after the driver was found to be driving otherwise than accordance with a licence and had no insurance while a van was seized for having no tax and no MOT. The driver will have to pay a surety to get the vehicle released.