A LORRY driver was arrested and a string of lorries and taxis were taken off the road in a series of roadside swoops in North Yorkshire.

Taxis in Northallerton and newspaper delivery lorries in Scarborough underwent tough road checks to make sure of their safety. The checks were carried out by the North Yorkshire Government Agency Intelligence Network, made up of North Yorkshire Police, the Vehicles Inspectorate, Customs and Excise and the Department of Works and Pensions.

The newspaper lorry checks were carried out in the early hours of Sunday morning, with 16 newspaper delivery lorries and five goods lorries stopped.

Five drivers were reported for allegedly having overweight lorries, and received immediate prohibition notices.

Four more were taken off the road for serious defects of brakes, steering, suspension and tyres, with five more given delayed bans insisting the problems be fixed.

The Department of Works and Pensions found two cases of alleged benefit fraud.

One driver was arrested after a positive breath test, and appeared before Scarborough magistrates yesterday.

The taxi checks were held in Northallerton and Stokesley on Friday afternoon by the intelligence network and Hambleton District Council.

Three of the 11 taxis stopped were banned for serious tyre and suspension problems.

Five more were given notices of serious defects and ordered to have the problems corrected.

The Department of Work and Pensions found two more cases of suspected benefit fraud.

Updated: 10:21 Tuesday, July 01, 2003