MORE than half of all vehicles stopped during a week of action around the M4 at Swindon were found to be running illegally, including one which had been driven for 25 hours.

As part of Operation Trivium officers have been conducting checks, primarily on foreign drivers, searching for breaches including illegal cargo, overloading and driving hours.

And 167 out of the 294 vehicles stopped were found to be running illegally.

A total of 34 vehicles were prevented from continuing their journeys until loads were removed or defects were repaired.

As a result of the operation officers detected 202 offences and issued fines totalling more than £23,000.

One Irish HGV driver was pulled over earlier this week while making a delivery to Swindon while drunk.

And two drivers from Poland were found to have been driving for more than a full day without a break.

Insp Steve Cox, the head of Tri Force Roads Policing Ops, said: “While mostly we had been looking for vans, for anything in terms of road safety to do with vehicles being overloaded and anything illegal being carried, for the last day we went for the more heavy goods vehicles.

“With those we are mostly looking at driving hours, because their weight limits are 44 tonnes and it is quite unusual they are overweight.

“We had a driver in on day two who had been driving for 25 hours without stopping, and that is a fatal collision waiting to happen.

“If you fall asleep in a 44-tonne truck it would be a miracle if no one is killed.

“There were two drivers in that vehicle and each had a £900 fine and their vehicle remained chained up for 36 hours.

“We have spoken to more than 400 people using our roads, located more than 200 offences and looked at fines in the region of £23,000.

“Foreign drivers in particular have some unscrupulous companies and the owners will expect drivers to keep going until they are stopped by the police, because the more miles they do the more money is in their pocket.

“On the M4 check site we have picked up 11 per cent of all offences committed nationally.

“That is something we are very proud of.

That has been carried out by between 12 to 14 officers, including five stoppers on the carriageway and others working at the weighbridge.”