A total of 53 offences were detected on Amesbury roads during a morning shift on Valentine’s Day.

Officers from Wiltshire Police’s Roads Policing Unit were in the area on Wednesday, February 14 as part of Project Zero - a roads policing operation held every week at a different location in the county.

It sees officers targeting drivers committing any of the fatal five offences in a bid to reduce the number of road casualties. The project sees the department intensify resources to target those who are driving at excess speed, drink/drug driving, using a phone while driving, not wearing a seatbelt or driving in a careless or dangerous manner.

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On the morning of February 14, 53 offences were detected, including a driver who was stopped for using a mobile phone whist driving a Volkswagen Crafter on Countess Road. The man, aged in his 40s, then subsequently failed a roadside drug wipe test and was arrested on suspicion of drug driving.

Another driver, a man in his 60s, was arrested and charged with drink driving after his vehicle was stopped in Lords Croft. He is due in Salisbury Magistrates Court on Tuesday, March 12.

Acting inspector Will Ayres said: "It's always disappointing to see this type of offending on our roads - it is this type of behaviour which is most likely to contribute to a serious or fatal collision.

"The team will continue to patrol the roads of Wiltshire targeting those most likely to cause harm on the roads."