POLICE snared 19 people in an operation targeting criminals using a gateway to the city in a bid to clamp down on offences across north London.

Officers from the Metropolitan Police Service and Thames Valley Police positioned themselves along the A40 between Uxbridge and Iver to stop drivers and check on the validity of documents and the safety of vehicles.

About 60 offerers, supported by Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) and the UK Border Agency, targeted motorists using the route on Thursday with the aim of preventing vehicle crime and burglary.

It is the third time the forces have teamed up on the A40 in the last 18 months to catch criminals crossing their boundaries and to disrupt crime in boroughs such as Barnet.

Officers seized 50 cars for either being un-roadworthy or being driven whilst uninsured or by an unlicensed driver. The 19 arrests were for a range of crimes relating to the possession of drugs, immigration offences, fraud and theft.

Police Sergeant Ian Osborn, MPS Traffic Officer, said: "We know that criminals use the A40 as a route into London to commit crime, which is why operations such as the one are so important.

“Thames Valley Police, the Met's Traffic Unit and boroughs across west London supplied officers to assist in the operation which sends out a clear message to the criminals, 'we are out there looking for you'."