A SHOCKING catalogue of potentially life-threatening defects has been found on lorries pounding Suffolk's roads, police said today.The alarming discoveries were made during routine checks carried out on traffic travelling along the A14 near Great Blakenham.

A SHOCKING catalogue of potentially life-threatening defects has been found on lorries pounding Suffolk's roads, police said today.

The alarming discoveries were made during routine checks carried out on traffic travelling along the A14 near Great Blakenham.

A total of 23 vehicles were stopped as part of the inspection, which uncovered more than 50 faults.

The day-long crackdown, codenamed Operation Mermaid, resulted in:

One lorry being removed from the road with immediate effect and sent to be scrapped;

A Polish lorry driver being arrested on suspicion of failing to take regular breaks and making false records;

Six lorries being taken off the road with immediate affect until vital repairs were carried out;

34 warnings being issued advising drivers of faults on their lorries.

Chief inspector Alan Pawsey, of Suffolk Constabulary's roads policing unit, said the safety tests are carried out with the expressed intention of prosecuting those flouting the law.

He said: “These are regular checks and they are always a success. No vehicle left the site clear of defects so it just shows what is on the road.

“Hopefully this will send a message out to those people who are breaking the law that they will be prosecuted.”

The checks, carried out last Thursday, saw lorries pulled off the A14 and examined on the former Blue Circle Cement Works site.

They found lorries that were overloaded, corroded, using illegally thin tyres and, in one case, without an operator's license.

Customs officers also prosecuted two haulage companies for evading excise duty by using the banned red diesel - fuel only allowed to be used for agricultural vehicles.

Another man was also prosecuted by the Department of Work and Pensions after found to be working while claiming benefits.