ESSEX Police have released figures after a weeklong operation on the region's main roads, including the A13 and M25 in Thurrock.

Under an initiative given the codename 'Operation Tramline' Essex Police's Commercial Vehicle Unit used a 'supercab' to detect offenders using the county's roads.

The vehicle was deployed by the Safer Essex Roads Partnership to identify unsafe and distracting driver behaviour.

The supercab was provided by National Highways between April 25 and April 29, ahead of the bank holiday weekend. The cab is used as part of a national project which aims to reduce collisions and incidents, and improve safety, journey time and reliability on major roads.

Essex Police roads policing officers from focused on major roads including the M25 and A13 and stopped more than 210 vehicles during the operation.

The height of the supercab allowed an officer to look into vehicles to observe distracting behaviours such as mobile phone use. Once a behaviour or cause for concern was spotted, the message was relayed to police cars and motorbikes which were ready to pull over the vehicle and engage with the driver.

Police Sergeant Jason Dearsley, of the Commercial Vehicle Unit, said: "This week has been busy for us as the team has disappointingly stopped and dealt with 203 offenders, for a wide variety of offences.

"With the change in legislation around mobile phone usage in vehicles we have noticed an increase in mobile phone offences. Seatbelt offences were also high with 66 lorry drivers seen not wearing theirs. We reminded these drivers of the injuries sustained from being ejected out of a lorry – they are often horrific and lifelong.

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"One particularly noteworthy offence was spotted - a lorry driver, driving with his foot up on the dashboard. He was reported for not being in proper control of a vehicle. Humans make mistakes but there are easy measures we can take to protect ourselves and support the ambition of Vision Zero.

"The aspiration of zero deaths and serious injuries on Essex roads by 2040 is ambitious, but we all believe it is achievable and operations such as this remind road-users that we all have a part to play."

Offences during the week included

• Seatbelts -67
• Mobile phones - 45
• Arrests - 19
• No Insurance - 7
• No MOT - 12
• Going through red lights - 5
• Insecure loads - 4
• Seized vehicles - 19