OVER 500 offences were dealt with during a major crackdown on speeding and anti-social driving in Keighley.

Police and the town council joined forces to stage the initiative, which ran over several months.

Twelve hotspot areas were identified – in Keighley Central, West and East wards, plus Oakworth.

In addition to enforcement activities, the venture – labelled Operation Shipdon – included high-visibility deployments.

Figures show that 530 road traffic offences were dealt with during the programme, which has been hailed as a success.

Keighley’s town mayor, Councillor John Kirby, says: “Hotspots were identified based on data from routine deployments, enforcement activities, speed watches, public complaints and the results of the town council’s residents survey.

“The operation’s success is evident in the impressive numbers, and we have received positive feedback from the public.

“The initiative has made significant strides in enhancing road safety and enforcement efforts in Keighley.

“Its success reflects the power of community collaboration and commitment to road safety.

“By working together, we are making our roads safer for everyone and supporting the Vision Zero initiative. We are dedicated to this mission, ensuring a brighter future for our community.”

The Vision Zero strategy aims to eliminate fatalities and severe injuries in road accidents by 2040.

Inspector John Barker, who heads up Keighley Neighbourhood Policing Team, says: “Speeding and anti-social driving has been an ongoing concern for residents in the town.

“Operation Shipdon has seen a positive impact on people complying with speed limits and an improvement in standards of driving across the area.

“Road safety is a top priority for Keighley, supporting the work of Vision Zero, whose target is to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads by 50 per cent by 2030 – and then to zero by 2040.

“By working in partnership, these additional resources for Keighley are helping to make the roads safer for all.”

Councillor Kirby says the work carried out as part of the operation is also regularly discussed in meetings with Bradford Council highways officers.

He adds: “This collaboration aims to support long-term problem-solving efforts, such as engineered highway designs, speed limit adjustments and speed surveys for potential safety camera deployment.

“Our deployments are already underway for 2023-24, ensuring a continued commitment to enhancing road safety in Keighley.”

In a separate operation, 24 abandoned or untaxed vehicles were seized from streets across Keighley.

The day of action involved West Yorkshire Police, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency and Bradford Council.

Cars were seized from a number of streets including West Lane, Grange Street, Admiral Way, Rawling Street, Malsis Road, Brewery Street, Park Terrace, Beechwood Avenue, Haynes Street, Scott Lane West and Westfield Crescent.

Keighley MP, Robbie Moore, said: “I’m very pleased to see robust action being taken on this matter.

“It is something I have been raising in the House of Commons and with the police throughout the year.

“Fundamentally, this is an issue of fairness.

“If you don’t tax, insure or MOT your car, or if you leave it abandoned – then you should lose it.

“This has been a real problem in Keighley and the wider area for years and I’m pleased that our police team is starting to ramp up enforcement in line with existing laws.

“I look forward to further action to prevent our area becoming a scrapyard for abandoned vehicles.”

* West Yorkshire Police have a dedicated web page, at westyorkshire.police.uk/SaferRoadsSubmissions, where people can report driving offences.