AT least five vehicles were seized in Lowestoft this week as part of a Suffolk-wide police clampdown on rogue traders.

Operation Utah saw nine police officers from Lowestoft and Halesworth stopping vans to see if their vehicles were legal and their drivers were bona-fide tradesmen.

Police used the automatic number plate recognition system to stop vehicles with officers seizing five for motoring offences, such as having no insurance.

The officers, led by Sgt Steve Knight, were joined during Wednesday's operation by Trading Standards officials as tradesmen's credentials and paperwork were checked.

Checks were also made to see if motorists were wanted by police.

Sgt Knight said: 'The operation went really well I think. I hope it deters people from trying to commit offences in this area.'

The Lowestoft checks were part of a wider operation involving 80 officers from Suffolk and surrounding forces performing road checks in Ipswich, Stowmarket and the A11 on Wednesday. A similar operation in August saw more than 200 vehicles stopped county-wide and inspected.