Hauliers warned after 40pc of lorries found breaking law

A total of 35 vehicles were checked in Immingham including petrol tankers, diesel carriers, lorries carrying compressed gas and dangerous chemicals, as well as small goods vehicles carrying dangerous chemicals.

The operation focused on vehicles visiting the area’s refineries and chemical plants and coming in and out of the country through Immingham Docks.

Police said they were alarmed by the findings.

One foreign driver was fined £200 and immediately ordered to leave the country after breeching regulations which limit the time foreign and EU companies can operate in the UK. Another was told to leave without penalty.

A goods vehicle was seized after it was found with a false fuel tank which had been fitted to hide the fact it was running on illegal rebated fuel.

Inquiries revealed the operators had another lorry seized in similar circumstances recently, along with a van that had been converted to clandestinely refuel the vehicles.

Another lorry was using fuel mixed with kerosene, and numerous “serious” breaches of regulations covering driver hours were detected.

Sgt Chris Hood, from the roads policing section at Humberside Police, said: “Operations such as this reveal just how many dangerous vehicles and drivers there are on our roads. What is disturbing is the level of non-compliance and the subsequent danger to the public.”