POLICE are promising to continue a crackdown on those who fail to wear seat belts, after issuing 65 people with fixed penalty tickets in one day.

Officers said they were disappointed with the number of drivers and passengers flouting the law after the first 24-hour crackdown last week.

They are now planning to stage another one-day purge on those failing to wear seat belts.

PC Michael Coward from Nelson Police, said: "Seat belts save lives. That's a fact. Since seat belt-wearing was made compulsory in 1983 it is estimated that casualties have been reduced by a minimum of 370 deaths and 7,000 serious injuries per year for front seat passengers alone.

"However, despite this clear evidence that seat belts save lives -- as well as repeated warnings about seat belt use by the police -- many motorists and passengers are still failing to belt up in the car, putting themselves in serious danger.

"That's why we launched our crackdown and why people who fail to wear seat belts can expect to receive fixed penalty tickets."

The people issued with tickets during the crackdown covered the age range between 15 and 84.