A policing operation at a planned car meet in Newport resulted in dozens of drivers being reported for offences – while officers also hit back at online critics who accused them of “ruining people’s days.”
The operation
Roads Policing and Neighbourhood Policing teams joined forces to monitor the gathering at Spytty Retail Park and surrounding roads on Sunday, 24 May. A GoSafe speed camera van was positioned on the A4810 – a stretch previously linked to drag racing and serious road traffic collisions connected to car meets in the area. A drone was also used to provide aerial coverage of the event.
Enforcement action
Across the operation, officers submitted 32 Notices of Intended Prosecution for speeding offences and issued 19 Traffic Offence Reports covering a range of road traffic violations. Among those stopped was a driver whose side window was allowing just 3% of light through – far below the legal minimum of 70%. Two Section 59 warnings were handed out for manner of driving or riding, one vehicle was prohibited from the road after a tyre was found with exposed ply and cord, and another was seized for having no insurance.
Responding to criticism
The force acknowledged that a previous social media post about the meet had drawn comments including “Police just ruining people’s days again” and “Go chase real criminals.” In response, Gwent Police said if ensuring vehicles are road legal, deterring antisocial use, preventing dangerous driving and keeping people safe amounts to “ruining people’s day,” they were “prepared to live with that.” Officers also pointed out that the operation was run by roads policing resources and had no impact on day-to-day policing elsewhere.
No major incidents
Despite the scale of enforcement, there were no reports of antisocial behaviour or dangerous driving from members of the public during the meet. Gwent Police said the majority of those attending were receptive to the police presence and any action taken.
