DANGEROUS drivers and cyclists in Berkeley were caught out by a police operation to keep the town’s roads safe.

Ten drivers and cyclists were stopped for driving offences on Saturday, January 5 as the Dursley local policing teams continued their Wheeled Respect operation.

The operation was launched in April 2011 to urge drivers to be more responsible when travelling in the area.

Ensuring that the town’s roads are kept safe is an issue that Berkeley residents have asked their local policing team to prioritise.

Special constables, PCs and PCSOs carried out roadside vehicle checks on Maybrook Street and Station Road between 10am and 2pm, focussing on offences such as speeding, not wearing a seatbelt and driving while on the phone.

Dursley special constable Steve Lindsay said: "The emphasis of the operation is educating motorists about the dangers they put themselves and others in when driving in this way.

"Once someone was seen committing these offences on Saturday they were stopped and spoken to.  Any drivers caught were then given the opportunity to complete a Road Safety Educational Package, instead of receiving a fixed penalty notice."

Eight drivers and one passenger were stopped for driving without a seatbelt and offered the educational package. Seven offenders completed the package but the two who failed to attend were issued with fixed penalty notices.

One cyclist was warned about riding a bike on the footpath.

No drivers were caught speeding or using their mobile phones whilst driving.

Driving without wearing a seatbelt is proving to be a recurrent problem in the area, as a similar operation run in the area in December caught seven drivers not wearing a seatbelt.