GMP clamps down on uninsured drivers

Date published: 10/01/2008

A convertible Audi A4 and a Audi Quattro worth around £45,000 are just two of the 30,000 vehicles that GMP officers have seized in the past two years.  

As part of Operation Wolverine targeting unlicensed or uninsured drivers, around half of the 30,000 seized cars have been released.  Failure to produce valid insurance or proof of ownership has resulted in the remaining 15,000 vehicles either being crushed, sold at auction or returned to finance companies.  

The operation has been so successful that the team has been returning vehicles to finance companies at the rate of around £200,000 a month.

Sergeant Mark Beales from the Traffic Network Section and head of Operation Wolverine said: "The main focus of this operation has been to disrupt criminals in Greater Manchester, as many of them use uninsured vehicles to commit crimes in the area.  

"We receive a lot of support from the public for this work as we are cracking down on drivers who think they can get away with paying nothing, while law-abiding citizens are left to foot the bill.

"The two Audis we seized also disprove the common misconception that it’s only older cars that are driven without insurance.  Many people automatically assume that high value vehicles have insurance when this may not always be the case."

"We are committed to driving criminals off the road and will continue our work to make the roads of Greater Manchester safer by targeting uninsured and unlicensed drivers."

Anyone wishing to give information on uninsured drivers can do so by contacting Crimestoppers on 0800 555111, or Greater Manchester Police on 0161 872 5050.