Police arrested two people and seized a vehicle during an operation to crack down on fly-tippers in Harpenden.

Between 10am and midday on Wednesday (October 9) a 55-year-old man was arrested for driving while disqualified and a 49-year-old woman was arrested for possession of a suspected fraudulent insurance certificate. Both have been released under investigation.

Officers from the Harpenden and St Albans safer neighbourhood teams were joined by colleagues from the Environment Agency, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency and St Albans district council in Redbourn Lane.

A Ford Transit van was seized as the driver was disqualified from driving and had no insurance, and one vehicle was prohibited due to having two illegal tyres and was unable to leave until new tyres were fitted. Several other vehicles needed to have defects fixed within seven days, including a badly cracked windscreen.

Three motorists were also reported for driving without insurance, and others were dealt with for carrying waste without the correct documentation.

St Albans district neighbourhood inspector Andy Wiseman said: "This was a successful, proactive operation involving our partner agencies to tackle fly-tipping.

"We also arrested a man on suspicion of driving whilst disqualified and seized his van. It's scary to think drivers are travelling with defects on their vehicles, so by doing these joint operations, we are making our roads safer for everyone as well as reducing fly-tipping, which blights communities."