NEARLY 250 drivers were issued with Fixed Penalty Notices after Suffolk police took part in a week-long European seatbelt enforcement campaign.

NEARLY 250 drivers were issued with Fixed Penalty Notices after Suffolk police took part in a week-long European seatbelt enforcement campaign.

Between Monday, February 16 and Sunday, February 22, officers were deployed countywide to clamp down on those not wearing a seatbelt or not using the appropriate child restraints.

In total, 235 Fixed Penalty Notices were issued - equating to an average of nearly 34 per day.

Of the 235 notices, 234 were issued in relation to adults not wearing a seatbelt and one in relation to a child, with the recipients incurring a minimum instant �30 fine.

So far this year the weekly average of Fixed Penalty Notices issued in Suffolk for seatbelt offences is just under 62. During this campaign that number was almost quadrupled. This follows an enforcement campaign last year that ran from September 1 to December 31 during which 1,711 motorists were caught without a seatbelt.

It has been more then 25 years since the mandatory wearing of seatbelts became law but these latest figures show that there are still a large number people on the county's roads continuing to flout the law.

Chief inspector Mike Bacon from the Roads Policing Unit said: “Unfortunately we are still finding people who are knowingly putting their lives at risk.

“It is such a simple task that should be part of the routine before starting up a vehicle. It is disappointing that so many Fixed Penalty Notices had to be handed out but we will continue to crackdown on those who fail to put on their seatbelt.

“Even on short journeys or at low speeds the importance of wearing a seatbelt can not be underestimated, it can mean the difference between life and death.”

Any motorists caught without a seatbelt will be given an instant fixed penalty notice of �30 and could face a fine of up to �500.