Dangerous caravans will be pulled off a motorway as part of a big police crackdown over the bank holiday.

Officers from the Central Motorway Police Group (CMPG) were out in force today on the M5.

Codenamed operation Velopy, the exercise was running from 9.30am until 5pm at Strensham service station on the southbound carriageway.

Officers were also giving advice to drivers about how to tow caravans and trailers safely.

Throughout the day they were stopping, examining and weighing caravans alongside specialists from the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) to identify dangerous vehicles. Members of the Caravan Club were offering general caravanning advice while Highways Agency staff provided drivers with up to the minute travel advice and tips on safer towing.

Sgt Dean Caswell from the CMPG said: “The bank holiday weekend provides us with the perfect opportunity to meet drivers, share our knowledge and help keep motorway users safe.”

During a similar crackdown last month, a total of 24 vehicles with caravans were stopped and examined and a number of potentially deadly faults identified. The CMPG is responsible for policing the Midlands motorway network, stretching south from Cheshire on the M6 to the Welsh borders on the M50. The team has 140 specialist police officers and police staff drawn from three of the regions police forces: Staffordshire Police, West Mercia Police and West Midlands Police.

Working closely with the Highways Agency and other partners, they patrol more than 450 miles of motorway to keep road users safe and prevent criminals using the motorway network.

For tips on safer towing visit www. highways.gov.uk/towing and view the Highways Agency’s safety video, Fit to Tow, presented by Carol Smillie.

The Midlands motorway network is one of the busiest in the country with approximately 500,000 vehicle journeys made per day. In 2007 there were more than 1,000 accidents involving caravans on the region’s roads.