Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Bentleys were among 90 vehicles taken off the road by police in a weekend crackdown on antisocial driving in London.
More than £8 million worth of vehicles were confiscated in Hyde Park, Kensington and Chelsea. Among those targeted were international drivers who do not have the correct UK driving documents.
The highest-value supercar involved was a Ferrari Monza SP2 worth £3.7 million, which had only been in the UK for a day. Its driver was targeted for driving without insurance and only had a provisional driving licence.
The motorist had been in the car for less than half an hour when he was stopped by Metropolitan Police officers. Police said that “while many visitors enjoy the capital responsibly, a lack of awareness around licensing and policy requirements has increasingly led to unsafe practices”.
The exclusive supercar was one of only 499 made by the Italian brand, with one model selling at auction for $4,995,000 (£3.7million) earlier this year. A police officer was seen driving the supercar away from the scene.
The first car police confiscated and put on a recovery vehicle was a red Lamborghini Revuelto, worth around £450,000, followed by a McLaren, a Rolls-Royce Cullinan and a Lamborghini Urus, a Ferrari Purosangue and a Ferrari 812, a Bentley Continental and several Porsches, Mercedes and Range Rovers.
The 90 vehicles taken, supported by Motor Insurers’ Bureau, was the highest amount in the operation’s five-year history.
Last summer, a pair of identical purple Lamborghinis were among £7 million of vehicles stopped. Two stolen vehicles were recovered and eight people were arrested for offences including actual bodily harm, theft of a motor vehicle, dangerous driving and failing to stop for police.
This weekend’s crackdown involved new policing powers, under which officers can seize vehicles involved in antisocial behaviour rather than giving motorists a warning. It is aimed at tackling drivers who are causing alarm, distress or annoyance to members of the public. Fifteen vehicles were confiscated under this legislation across the weekend.
Special Chief Inspector Geoff Tatman, who led the operation, said: “We regularly hear from local people who are fed up with people driving cars dangerously in the area, or with modifications which make them a nuisance to those who live nearby.
“Through operations like this we’re arresting these drivers and seizing their cars so we can keep our roads safe and send clear message that we won’t put up with their reckless and dangerous behaviour.”
Angus Eaton, chief executive of the Motor Insurers’ Bureau, said: “Operations like these show that the rules apply to all motorists, regardless of the value of the vehicle they chose to drive.”
The operation involved 120 officers, including 95 from the Met’s Special Constabulary and Vehicle Enforcement Team, backed by the Motor Insurers’ Bureau’s expertise in uninsured driving prevention and advanced roadside support.
The police said that every week someone in the UK was killed by an uninsured driver, with daily cases of life-altering injuries. Offences often intersect with wider criminal activity, including drug offences, drink-driving and illegal street-racing.
During the operation, other potential crimes were detected, including a man arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods and money laundering after he was allegedly found with 19 bank cards in other people’s names and more than £2,500 in cash, as well as another over drugs and one related to a suspected immigration offence.
Caroline Sargent, deputy leader and cabinet member for enforcement at Westminster City Council, said: “The disruption caused by these reckless drivers and boy racers is often worse during the summer months and, as well as putting people at risk, causes significant nuisance for residents and businesses.”
