Man from Brackley arrested on suspicion of driving under influence of drugs

The arrest was a part of Northamptonshire Police’s multi-agency day of action on Thursday, July 6, that saw 41 goods vehicles stopped in a bid to improve safety on the county’s roads.

The day was led by Northamptonshire Police’s Forensic Collision Investigation Unit, which was supported by the Force’s Roads Policing, Safer Roads, Neighbourhood Policing, Response, and Special Constabulary, as well as colleagues from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency.

Vehicles were intercepted by officers in marked cars and motorcyclists before being escorted to the two check sites situated on the northbound and southbound carriageways of the A43, near Brackley and Towcester.

At the check sites, officers from the various agencies checked for offences and found 19 vehicles to be fully compliant with relevant licences and considered to be in roadworthy condition.

However, a 31-year-old man from Brackley was arrested on suspicion of driving while under the influence of drugs and possession of a Class B drug. He was later released on police bail pending further investigation.

A total of 18 vehicles were issued with immediate prohibition notices, which prevented the drivers from continuing their journeys until the defects and offences had been rectified, which included issues like defective brakes and tyres.

A further eight drivers were given delayed prohibition notices for minor defects, meaning that although the driver can continue with their journey, the owner of the vehicle is given up to 10 days to fix the defect before the vehicle is inspected again.

Three vehicles were seized for having either no insurance, no licence, or no tax, while other drivers were issued fixed penalty or prohibition notices for other offences, including not wearing a seat belt and insecure and overweight loads.

Northamptonshire Police forensic collision investigator and specialist vehicle examiner, PC Chris Gray, said: "Road safety is everyone’s responsibility, and it is disappointing that just over half the vehicles stopped were not in a roadworthy condition.

"Improving safety on our roads is a Force priority, and with the support from our partners, we will continue to hold these days of action to ensure people using our roads are doing so both legally and responsibly."