A ZERO tolerance campaign to slash the number of deaths on Nantwich roads has led to scores of penalties for South Cheshire bikers.

Police said the number of fines which have been issued on three roads known to be popular with bikers near the town has justified the crackdown.

Since the campaign launched four weeks ago on the A534, the A49 and the A51, police have issued 29 tickets with endorsable penalties and 49 non-endorsable tickets.

Crewe Sergeant Steve Griffiths said: "These three stretches of road are very demanding and require every bit of concentration a rider or driver can give them.

"They have bends and lots of dips which can conceal a vehicle, especially something as small as a motorbike.

"There are speed limits which have been put there expressly because people were concerned about the number of casualties.

"If people used their common sense we wouldn't have to be taking enforcement action at all.

"But we have bikers travelling at enormously high speeds and taking stupid risks by crossing white lines at points where visibility is almost nil."

Accident figures prompted the launch of the campaign and that concern was highlighted again early in July when one biker died in a collision at Gallantry Bank on the A534, and early this month when another was killed in a crash at Spurstow on the A49.

The campaign has further identified a number of bikes and cars without road tax or insurance, while other penalties have been issued against motorists for using mobile phones.

In one case officers seized a car with no tax or insurance and the driver and travellers were left to walk home.

Sgt Griffiths added: "We are using marked and unmarked cars so people need to be aware they may be under observation when they have no idea police officers are about.

"The Safety Camera Partnership has been has been out to check speeders and the Cheshire Police plane comes over from time to time.

"The number of tickets which officers have issued is clear proof a problem exists here.

"A zero tolerance campaign seemed the only way to make some people behave more responsibly, so that's what we are doing."