GLOUCESTERSHIRE Police caught 58 people committing road offences on the M5 last month, including a man who rolled a cigarette, with no hands at the wheel of an HGV.

It came as part of Operation Tramline, a road safety campaign that utilises unmarked heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) to patrol major roads and detect unsafe driving behaviours.

One unmarked HGV loaned by National Highways, was driven between junctions 8 and 14 of the M5 last month and resulted in 58 drivers being stopped. The elevated position of the lorry cab helped officers to identify and deal with a number of offences.

Sergeant Matt Firth from the Roads Policing Unit said: "Reducing the numbers of people killed or seriously injured on our roads continues to be a priority for Gloucestershire Constabulary.

"We will continue to run these operations to detect and deter those who choose to drive in this manner remembering that any of us or our loved ones could be impacted by such behaviours whilst using the county's roads."

Other drivers were stopped for offences which included not wearing a seatbelt, using a mobile phone behind the wheel, vehicle defects such as having no brakes and insecure loads.

A tow truck was pulled over and officers found several major defects which included no brakes, cuts in tyres, bald tyres, cracked suspension springs and an insecure load.

Officers also pulled over two motorists as they were towing vehicles while in the third lane of the motorway which is not permitted.

National Highways has three unmarked HGV cabs which it loans out to police forces across the country as part of Operation Tramline.

The operation was introduced to help decrease the number of people killed or seriously injured on the National Highways road network (motorways and major trunk roads).

Jack Mason, National Highways Engineering Team Manager for Road Safety, said: “Figures show that you’re twice as likely to die in a crash if you don't wear a seatbelt and four times more likely to be in a crash if using a phone at the wheel. So it is always disappointing when we see people who are prepared to put themselves and others at risk in this way.

"This year marks the 10th anniversary of Operation Tramline and our goal has always been to remind motorists to think carefully about their driving behaviours and to make our roads safer.

“These results show just how valuable our HGV cabs continue to be in helping to spot unsafe driving behaviours and we will continue working with our police partners to make our roads as safe as we can."

Officers also identified a driver committing an offence and recorded video footage from the unmarked lorry cab before notifying officers in an accompanying car.

The officers then intercepted the offending vehicle, pulling it over and dealing with the offences by way of Traffic Offence Reports and summons.

Some penalties for driving offences can include large fines, points on your licence or even having your licence to drive disqualified.