OFFICERS from the county's award-winning Special Constabulary worked nearly 300 hours between them while the force's newly recruited cadets helped identify six off-licences who were willing to serve alcohol to under-age customers in a successful policing operation over the weekend.

Special Constables in Stroud focussed on road safety and worked with Stroud District Council's licencing team on Friday, February 27 evening to identify any traffic offences or breaches of licence.

Over 100 vehicles were stopped on the Ebley Bypass, A46 Bath Road and at Sainsbury's car park, with the following results:

• Five taxi drivers were found not to be displaying their badges. Stroud District Council is now dealing with these operators.

• 24 people were found to be speeding - all 24 agreed to take part in the Wheeled Respect educational course at the roadside, which gives people a hard hitting insight into the devastating effects speeding can have.

• Three roadside breath tests were carried out.

• Three vehicles were found to have faulty lights and their drivers ordered to rectify the fault within 14 days or face further action.

• Three people were ordered to return to police within seven days with relevant licence and insurance documents or face further action.

• One person was ordered to get a faulty exhaust repaired.

• One vehicle was found to have a tyre defect and the driver could now face a fixed penalty notice and points on their licence.

• One person was reported for possible summons to court for having no insurance.

• One person was reported for possible summons to court for having no tax.

In total over 160 people talked to the police during this part of the operation and the public feedback was very positive.

Specials also joined the local policing team to carry out patrols in the Stratford Park area of Stroud, where a moped was seized because its rider was ignoring a previous warning not to drive anti-socially.

Meanwhile the new intake of Gloucestershire Police cadets, volunteers aged between 14 and 18, carried out a test purchase operation with officers in Tewkesbury, Cheltenham and Gloucester to check if shops were abiding by licensing regulations and only selling alcohol to those over 18.

Licensing officers from Tewkesbury Borough Council, Cheltenham Borough Council and Gloucester District Council were all involved in the test purchade operation.

Of 24 off-licences visited, six were willing to sell alcohol to a cadet under 18 - two in Tewkesbury, two in Cheltenham and two in Gloucester.

Licensing officers designed the operation to cover self-service and normal checkouts to ensure a comprehensive test.

Staff and managers are currently being spoken to at the off-licences involved.

Cadets were also out in force with officers on Saturday morning in Gloucester, handing out leaflets and carrying out patrols.

It's believed they would have had contact with over 8000 people by the end of the operation.

Elsewhere, officer numbers were bolstered for special night-time patrols in city and town centres across the county in order to keep disorder to a minimum while community policing teams concentrated on addressing local priorities such as anti-social behaviour.

Silver Commander for the operation Chief Inspector Neil Smith said: "I'm very proud of our teams of specials and cadets, as well as our regular officers, and the work they did with us this weekend.

"The community will have noticed our increased presence and I am sure will feel reassured that we are taking these issues seriously.

"The operation should send out a very powerful message to people that we have very dedicated officers and volunteers out there who care deeply and want to make a difference."