MORE than 120 motorists were caught flouting the law in a one-day purge in Wisbech on Saturday. Sixty-two of the 124 motorists caught were driving without wearing a seatbelt, with unsafe vehicles also taken off the road and one driver arrested on suspicio

MORE than 120 motorists were caught flouting the law in a one-day purge in Wisbech on Saturday.

Sixty-two of the 124 motorists caught were driving without wearing a seatbelt, with unsafe vehicles also taken off the road and one driver arrested on suspicion of possessing a Class A drug.

Insp Alan Page, of the collision investigation unit, who led the operation said: "All of those were just in Wisbech; we didn't even get out of the town."

The crackdown - codenamed Operation Anglia - was held alongside the county's Road Safety Partnership.

It followed a similar day of action in the March sector, on Wednesday, in which more than 80 motorists received fixed penalties.

The day's haul saw:

• One motorist arrested for possession of a Class A drug

• Sixty-two motorists given �30 fixed penalty notices for not wearing a seatbelt

• Nine vehicles seized for being driven without insurance, with the drivers facing a minimum fine of �200

• Thirteen motorists issued a �60 fine and three points on their licences for driving while using a mobile phone

• Six people stopped for driving a vehicle without a valid MOT

• Fourteen motorists issued with vehicle defect rectification certificates for having blacked-out windows that do not comply with safety guidelines

• Eight fixed penalty notices for motorists driving vehicles with italic number plates

• One person reported to the courts for driving with a bald tyre

• Three people reported for using vehicles in a dangerous condition

• Seven people reported for construction-like offences, such as using a vehicle with an exhaust hanging off.

"It was all about reducing crime and making motorists think about their safety," said Insp Page.

"These people not wearing a seatbelt need to remember it's your best friend if you're in a collision."

A wider police presence on the streets was backed up by motorcycle patrols across the town, with number plate recognition systems also in operation.

Meanwhile, police continued to deal with and target day-to-day crime.

Insp Page said: "We had some really good public support as well; people driving by gave us the thumbs up and said it was good to see us doing this.

"It helped that we did it on a Saturday. It is a busy day with a lot of motorists about and I don't think we would have had the same results if we held it on a weekday.

He added: "We will be doing these operations again in the future.