More than 100 vehicles were stopped by the police on the M8 this week as part of an operation to catch uninsured drivers.

Police Scotland teamed up with the Motor Insurer’s Bureau (MIB) on Thursday 3 October to stop uninsured vehicles along a 60-mile stretch of the M8 Motorway between Edinburgh City Bypass and Langbank in Inverclyde.

A total of 102 stops were made by 6pm, with police confirming that over a third of stops lead to uncovered secondary offences.

Officers taking part in the operation said stopping uninsured vehicles is a proven way to help identify individuals of interest, stolen vehicles or property, and wider crime networks.

Of the 102 stops, 36% uncovered secondary offences, including drug offences and vehicles in an unroadworthy condition.

Chief Superintendent Marc Clothier, Head of National Roads Policing Operations Intelligence and Investigations (NRPOII), said "It is essential that we Police our Roads together and I am really pleased to see MIB joining forces with Police Scotland to tackle uninsured drivers on the M8 between Edinburgh and Glasgow.

"We know uninsured drivers are more likely to be involved in fatal and fail to stop collisions, and there is also a strong link between uninsured driving and other criminal offences.

"This collaborative approach is a fantastic way to ensure we are both effective and efficient in taking risk off our roads."

The operation was the third in a series of police innititaves across UK motorways. It comes after the success of Operation M4 in April and Operation M62 in July.

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MIB is a UK entity that exists solely to uncover uninsured and hit-and-run drivers.

MIB are already in the process of exploring future collaborative operations on other major UK road networks, as part of a £5 million investment to reduce uninsured driving.

Head of Enforcement at the organisation, Martin Saunders, said “We know that uninsured driving is just one of many pressing priorities for our police colleagues. As we run our third operation along a major motorway, it’s clear that supporting forces in designating time to focus on uninsured driving allows this issue to be tackled in a targeted manner.

“With the clear links to other offences, we know the benefits of Operation M8 will be widely felt across all different areas of the community, making the motorway and its surrounding areas safer.

“We’re proud to have partnered with Police Scotland today. This operation is just one more way, alongside a wider range of initiatives, in which we’re making sure that those flouting the law have nowhere to hide.”

Police Scotland has confirmed that the operation is still in action, and that officers expect to remove further risks from the M8.

Chief Superintendent Hilary Sloan, Police Scotland, added: “This operation is an effective way of reducing the number of uninsured vehicles on our roads.

“If you have no valid insurance, you have no legal right to be on the road, and I would encourage the public to continue to report drivers who they believed are not insured.

"Police Scotland is committed to keeping the roads safe in collaboration with key partners and this operation allows officers to take action against those who deliberately break the law and put other road users in danger.”