Released on behalf of the Northamptonshire Casualty Reduction Partnership

A total of 48 school transport vehicles were checked last week to ensure the safety of schoolchildren in Northamptonshire.

On Monday 1 and Wednesday 3 March, officers and staff from Northamptonshire Police, Northamptonshire County Council, Corby Borough Council, Northampton Borough Council and the Vehicle Operating Standards Agency worked in partnership to carry out safety checks. The checks were made on vehicles used to transport children to school at Corby Business Academy and Billing Brook School in Northampton.

Taxis, minibuses and coaches were checked along with driving documents. A verbal warning was given to one driver whose vehicle had a loose seat back and a prohibition given for another having loose wheel nuts and a seized emergency exit. There were a further four verbal warnings for drivers whose vehicles had lighting defects and four prohibitions for defective tyres.

The checks are part of a national campaign, Operation Coachman, seeking to ensure the safety of children and standards of vehicle maintenance across the county. Further checks will be made throughout the year.

Police Sergeant Jon Hodgson said: "It is disappointing that drivers with the responsibility for transporting children do not spend time checking their vehicles before use. All of these matters would have been identified with a check before setting off. We would urge all drivers of all types of vehicles to carry out simple checks such as lights, brakes and tyres and to seek professional help to rectify any problems."