MOTORISTS with faulty exhausts on their vehicles face being hauled off the road as part of a police crackdown on filthy emissions.

Officers are due to carry out spot checks at a series of locations throughout Lancashire on Friday as part of National Green Transport Week.

And people caught out by the initiative will face prosecution under the Road Traffic Act. Police are joining forces with Lancashire County Council's TravelWise team to carry out the checks.

Motorists are being offered the chance to have their vehicles tested for high fume levels free of charge, at the Morrison's store on Preston Docks, between 10am and 3.30pm today. But car owners are also being encouraged to take their vehicles to an MOT garage if they feel emissions are too high.

Any vehicle which fails a spot check will be taken off the road until it passes an MOT test.

Chief Insp Ian Bell of Lancashire Police said: "We are supporting the Government's Green Transport Week initiative.

"It is in everybody's interests that the environment is improved and we would encourage motorists who feel their vehicles might fail an emission test to take it to the free testing or to an MOT garage.

"Officers will be paying particular attention to this during the week, especially on Friday, and there is a chance that motorists may face prosecution if their vehicle's exhaust is found to be faulty."

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