A DRIVER was found in woods by a police dog after allegedly fleeing police who pulled him over during a road safety operation – which also saw two cars seized after racing between Gillingham and Shaftesbury.

The dog incident unfolded in Blandford on the evening of September 23, when officers from North Dorset carried out a “proactive road safety operation” which included the Road Safety Team, local neighbourhood policing team, Special Constabulary and the Safety Camera Team.

It came after road safety concerns were raised by residents who complained of anti-social driving and riding.

Before the operation began, Community Speed Watch volunteers were out in the area during the daytime in Bourton and identified 38 motorists who were driving over the speed limit, with one reaching speeds of 62mph in a 30mph zone.

Then, during the evening, officers attempted to stop a vehicle in Blandford where the driver was a suspected high-risk road user.

The motorist – a 38-year-old man from the Wareham area – was found by a police dog in the woods in the Sandford area after reportedly fleeing their vehicle.

“They were arrested on suspicion of driving offences and have been released under investigation while enquiries continue,” a Dorset Police spokesperson said.

“A second arrest was made after a motorist was suspected of driving while under the influence of alcohol in Gillingham.”

Meanwhile, two cars were spotted racing each other between Gillingham and Shaftesbury and were seized under Section 59 of the Police Reform Act 2002, which can be used when a vehicle is driven carelessly in a way that causes alarm, distress or annoyance.

“In addition to this, a vehicle was seized for having no insurance and valid licence and drivers were dealt with for driving without due care and attention, not having a valid MOT and excess speed,” the spokesperson said.

Police Sergeant Luke Sands, of the Roads Policing Team, added: “Road safety is everyone’s responsibility and we all need to play our part to keep everyone safe.

“We listened to the concerns of the local community and carried out this operation in direct response to issues raised to us.

“There is no excuse for driving otherwise than in accordance with the law – you could cause harm to yourself or another road user.

“We would continue to encourage the public to report road safety concerns to us, it really helps us to understand what is happening in your area and how we can target any problems.”

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