CARS were seized and people arrested during a multi-agency operation.

Motorists without insurance were the major culprits during the day-long operation involving police and other law enforcement agencies held in London Road, Swanley.

Automatic number plate reading technology was used to monitor 10,000 vehicles and find out if drivers had any outstanding offences.

Police officers waved a number of passing motorists into a road check area for their vehicles to be examined.

More than 130 police officers and other personnel were split between two sites in London Road on September 21.

This was the first operation of its kind held in Swanley and was organised in partnership between Kent Police's west Kent drugs liaison unit and officers from the Met Police.

It also involved staff from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), the DVLA, HM Revenue and Customs, the Vehicle Inspectorate, the Immigration Service and clamping operator NCP.

Each agency had the opportunity to enforce legislation relevant to them and sniffer dogs were also on site.

Police chiefs say the Swanley operation caught a number of insurance dodgers.

Five cars were seized and impounded until a valid insurance certificate is produced.

The DWP carried out at least 35 checks and HM Revenue and Customs carried out 50 road fuel tests.

Nine vehicles were declared unroadworthy by the Vehicle Inspectorate and six were given advisory notices in respect of vehicle defects.

Four people were arrested - two for handling stolen goods, one for driving while disqualified and one for an immigration offence.

Swanley was recently handed over to west Kent police from north Kent police as part of a shake-up of boundaries.

The new senior officer responsible for Swanley, Chief Inspector Gill Ellis, says the operation sent an important message to the community that west Kent police intend to police the area robustly.

She said: "We mean business to people who break the law.

"We have run a few of these before in the county and they are really huge operations."