Dozens of motorists were stopped by police officers who identified 74 separate motoring offences during a road safety operation on the A40.

West Oxfordshire District Council and the Vehicle and Operator Safety Agency also took part in the crackdown just before 9am yesterday at a lay-by between Witney and Eynsham.

Police officers handed out fixed penalty notice fines and immediate temporary bans to drivers found flouting the law by driving while holding their mobile phones, not wearing their seatbelts and driving without insurance.

A 44-tonne large goods vehicle was seized after officers found its driver did not have a valid driving licence and had left his tachograph vehicle safety record card at home.

In total, 22 motorists were penalised for mobile phone offences, six drivers were stopped because their windows were excessively tinted, two drivers were not deemed to be in full control of their vehicle, four were wearing no seatbelts, five had no insurance and two had no driving licence.

Other drivers were found to have no number plates, road tax or tachograph vehicle safety recording devices.

Cars and lorries were also stopped for having faulty exhausts, brakes and lights.