Nineteen people were arrested in 24 hours by Essex Police officers patrolling the M25 and A12.

Officers from the Roads Policing Unit, Operational Support Group and the dog unit spent Friday, September 6, monitoring the behaviour of drivers.

Using results from ANPR cameras, officers were able to detect whether anyone was driving illegally or unsafely.

Several vehicles believed to be linked to criminality or associated with those wanted for crimes, were stopped.

Among those arrested were four people wanted for a range of offences, including one man stopped as officers believed he was not wearing a seatbelt.

Once stopped it was discovered the man had failed to attend a court hearing and was arrested.

Separately, a man wanted on suspicion of making threats to kill and criminal damage was arrested, and a woman wanted in relation to a theft being investigated by the Metropolitan Police was also detained.

Another woman was arrested on suspicion of the theft of a vehicle and the vehicle was recovered.

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Nine people were arrested on suspicion of drink or drug driving.

Among them were further arrests for taking a vehicle without consent, driving without a license, and drugs possession.

Six people were arrests on suspicion of immigration offences.

As well as the arrests, officers seized 13 vehicles for lacking the appropriate insurance, and issued 71 Traffic Offence Reports, which could mean a driver has to undertake a diversionary course, pay a fixed penalty fine, or may be summonsed to court.

Inspector Emma Patterson said: "Driving safely is a responsibility and a requirement, not an option.

"If you are unfit to drive, if you're vehicle is unfit to be driven, or you have failed to arrange the proper insurance for your vehicle, our officers will stop you.

"Behaviour like this can be even more dangerous on our faster major roads.

"It's why we work with partners through the Safer Essex roads Partnership to bring down offending on our roads, and towards our goal of Vision Zero – no deaths on our roads by the year 2040."