Police have hailed an operation to deny criminals the use of the road and target motorists breaking the law while travelling to and from Felixstowe, as a success.

Seven police forces, including Suffolk's Roads and Armed Policing Team (RAPT), road casualty reduction team, commercial vehicle unit, police dog unit, local policing teams and safety camera team worked with multi-agency partnership in Operation Alliance.

Officers flooded the roads from Felixstowe, Hadleigh and the Shotley peninsula and took motorists suspected of offences to a large site at the A14/A12 Copdock interchange.

The intelligence-led initiative brought in vehicles identified as being potentially involved in criminality being brought back to the site where police and partner agencies conducted checks of the vehicles and occupants.

There was no shortage of alleged offenders as Sgt Julian Ditcham (RAPT) revealed how officers had caught drug drivers

Two people were arrested after failing to stop and then ran off before being caught by officers, who discovered the van contained stolen power tools and cabling belonging to UK Power Networks.

"Unfortunately for them," said Sgt Ditcham, "They ran off into the River Gipping, so were soon arrested and were very cold and wet."

Scores of vehicles were taken to the Copeck interchange and those without insurance, not taxed or not roadworthy and in a dangerous condition were seized.

"The objective has been to deny criminals the use of the road and to make Suffolk's roads safer, and we have done that," said Sgt Ditcham.

The experienced traffic officer admitted he was still amazed at the offences drivers continue to commit.

He said: "It is all down to driver behaviour and things which people do unnecessarily, like using your phone.

"Put it away somewhere where you can't get to it until you have completed your journey and take away that temptation.

"Seat belts have been law since the 1980s, yet still we catch people not wearing the. Unfortunately I have gone to the scene of an incident where someone has gone through the windscreen and ejected from the vehicle because they weren't wearing their seat belt.

"It is not a pleasant sight for anyone."

While many motorists were stopped after being flagged up by police intelligence, the use of cameras and other technology, instinct and experience by officers played a large part in the operation.

"You can't beat that old fashioned copper's eye," said Sgt Ditcham, "a police officer will look at a vehicle or driver and know there is something not quite right, and bring them in."

Suffolk police use the bi-annual operation to underline their ethos of the three Es.

Sgt Ditcham added: "It is about engagement, education and enforcement and everyone that has been brought in today has had at least one, if not all three."

Drivers using illegal number plates were in evidence and officers issued a warning about those trying to evade detection.

He said: "It never fails to amaze me what people will do to avoid detection.

They know we use camera technology have reflective material s ANPR vehicle can't read them the car is stolen can't find it and insurance will be void."

Partner agencies included the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency, Driver & Vehicle Licencing Agency, Suffolk Trading Standards, Environmental Protection, Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) and Marston's civil debt collectors.

At least one suspected gangmaster was brought in by police, while other agencies also yielded results from the operation.

The Seven Force Collaboration area (7F), included Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent and Norfolk. The four-day operation was hosted by a different force each day.

The large amount of resources used always brings results, according to Sgt Ditcham who added: "It looks like we have a lot of people here but by doing this we covering a wider area and giving us more potential to bring in criminals and those who flout the law with read traffic offences."