A PROACTIVE police operation was held last Friday in a bid to address a persistent road issue in Tavistock.

The roundabout at Brook Lane, which joins Plymouth Road, has been a cause of concern for local residents, police and councillors alike who felt drivers were not paying attention to the road layout and the rules of a roundabout.

The operation was organised by police with the backing of councillors and the highways agency which has been monitoring the roundabout.

Last Friday local police officers from Tavistock, working alongside special constables from Devon and Cornwall’s road policing team and the rural enforcement team, positioned themselves by Brook Lane and on Plymouth Road at Texaco Garage to take note of the problems as they happened and to advise motorists who had flouted the law.

Eight drivers were pulled into the garage for words of advice regarding contravening the roundabout, as well as those who were not wearing seatbelts. Members of the public were seen to thank police for their presence and for responding to safety concerns.

Sgt Dixon from Tavistock Police Station, who organised the operation, said there had been a number of near-misses at the site due to people either driving over the roundabout or on the wrong side.

‘We have met with the highways agency and things are progressing nicely — they are thinking of repositioning the roundabout.

‘When people are travelling towards Tavistock they are travelling in a straight line across the roundabout but when people are coming out of Brook Lane with no view it is a recipe for disaster. We are using this opportunity to offer words of advice and raise awareness of the problem and we hope people will start driving around the roundabout properly.

‘Other road issues will be dealt with in due course. We will offer words of advice this time but next time it will be enforced.’