POLICE have teamed up with Bolton Council to crack down on speeding drivers and illegal waste carriers.

Officers were out on the beat in Bolton this morning as part of Operation Portman, in a bid to improve road safety in the area.

Seven people were caught speeding - including one driver who was travelling at 52mph in a 30mph zone.

A Greater Manchester Police spokesperson for Bolton West said: "This morning officers from Bolton West neighbourhood team spent a couple of hours working with enforcement officers from Bolton Council in a joint operation around road safety.

"We combined both speed enforcement with an operation looking at illegal waste carriers.

"In the short time we were out, seven Traffic Offence Reports for speeding were issued - including someone who was driving at 52mph in a 30mph zone - and one ticket issued to an illegal waste carrier.

"We've got a few more mornings penned in for the coming weeks, reaffirming our commitment to keeping our roads safe."

Officers launched Operation Portman on Thursday, December 3 in response to concerns over the number of serious road incidents in the town.

Bolton neighbourhood officers were supported by Greater Manchester Police's tactical vehicle intercept unit, a team of specially trained drivers, and GMP's Traffic Team, as they patrolled hotspot areas.

They worked together to identify drivers who were not using the roads safely and took action against them.