ONE in five vehicles stopped near Bromyard by police did not have a valid MoT certificate, officers said this week.

Police stopped 60 vehicles near the town on Thursday, April 11, as part of an initiative aimed at disrupting the illegal scrap metal trade. And 12 of them were found to have expired MOTs.

Inspector Martin Taylor, who is responsible for policing in Bromyard says: “As the vehicles were stopped throughout the course of the day, officers noticed a worrying trend emerging.

“We carried out these stop checks along with officials from the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency, who commented that the MOT testing stations they examine all report they aren’t as busy as last year, which seems to imply that people aren’t getting their cars tested.

“We understand that money is tight for many people at the moment, but not renewing your MOT has serious consequences. We cannot stress enough how important it is that people have a current MOT on their vehicles."

The vehicles stopped were also inspected by officials from HM Revenue and Customs and DVLA, and several were seized for no insurance, and nine were deemed unroadworthy.