IT was pleasing to read Patrick Coles’ letter (HAS, Jan 6) highlighting the visibility of vehicles of the Road Policing Units of Cleveland Police and Durham Constabulary around the A19/A689. Such visibility of marked police vehicles will also be seen on other major routes such as the A66.

Such deployments are at the request of concerned members of the public who have rightly been demanding that the police take positive action against road users who abuse the speed limits causing collisions that unfortunately may result in members of the public being killed or seriously injured.

Additionally, many of these vehicles are also equipped with Automatic Number Plate Recognition technology that allows officers to catch criminals using the road. This has been highly successful and will continue.

Speeding fines do not go to either force, but are used directly to finance road safety initiatives utilised only to improve the safety to all persons using the roads within our region.

It is the responsibility of both forces to reduce the number of casualties and deny criminals the use of the roads in our region.

Inspector Ken Cook, on behalf of Cleveland Police and Durham Constabulary Road Policing Units.