MOTORISTS were taken by surprise during a combined effort to catch law-breakers and problem cars.

Police, along with Medway Council and the Department of Social Security fraud department carried out spot checks at Four Elms Hill, Rochester. Vehicles were filtered into the specially crafted extra lane to be checked.

The results were:

• Forty-two drivers were required to produce driving documents.

• Two were caught driving without tax.

• Sixteen received fixed penalty notices for driving without seat belts and mobile phone offences.

In addition, Medway Council's taxi licensing carried out eight stops which resulted in four offences.

The DSS carried out 27 stops and cautioned six people who were working and claiming benefit. Vehicle inspections found nine unroadworthy vehicles.