Police in Ipswich have taken part in a day of cracking down on a host of crimes in the town centre.

Officers from Suffolk police’s high visibility Scorpion Team, roads policing, firearms and dog teams joined representatives from HM Revenue and Customs, Suffolk RoadSafe and the Vehicle and Operator services Agency.

Using the car park in Portman Road as a base, officers identified crimes including an arrest for taking without consent, uninsured cars and drug offences.

The event is the third time police have tackled problems in Ipswich in this way, following previous successful days in the town and in Lowestoft.

Forty vehicles were escorted to the check site and only nine left clear of offences. Five immediate prohibitions for serious defects were issued by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, with an additional four delayed prohibitions.

Twenty-five traffic offences were dealt with and four vehicles were seized for insurance and licence offences.

Nine people were also arrested. Two were arrested after a fail to stop incident with a 26-year-old man arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and possession with intent to supply a class A drug and a 27-year-old man arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply a class A drug.

A 21-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of taking a motor vehicle without consent, obstructing/resisting a police officer and immigration offences.

Two men, aged 27 and 29 from the town were arrested for driving while over the prescribed limit of cannabis. The 29-year-old was also arrested on suspicion of possessing a class B drug and for driving without a license. Both have now been bailed.

A 28-year-old man from Ipswich who was wanted on warrant was arrested on suspicious of ABH.

Police have also recently made three additional arrests on suspicion of possession of a class A drug and for an offence relating to the proceeds of crime act. One of those arrested was also wanted by the Metropolitan Police.

Pc David Logan said: “We are delighted with the results, this operation has shown the benefit of close working with our partner agencies. By taking dangerous vehicles off the road and preventing and detecting offences, we hope to disrupt criminal activity in the county as much as possible.”