‘SELFISH’ motorists caught queue jumping on one of East Lancashire’s busiest roads are being warned they face being fined.

Police have launched a crackdown on ‘dangerous drivers’ who drive in an anti social manner to avoid tailbacks at the end of the M65 at Colne.

Yesterday officers stopped five motorists on Vivary Way and issued anti social driving warnings after witnessing them driving past the congestion and then forcing their way back into the traffic.

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Police said vehicles often travel down the right-hand lane of the A6068, as they approach the traffic lights with Barrowford Road and Crown Way, then attempt to nip back into the left-hand lane to travel straight on to avoid delays.

Road safety charity Brake say the manoeuvres are ‘potentially risky’ and branded the drivers ‘selfish’, while leader of Pendle council Joe Cooney said that it could incite road rage.

Officers said they decided to crack down on the problem after they had an recent ‘influx of calls’ from fed up motorists.

As well as being issued with antisocial driving warnings, drivers were given half hour talks with officers and shown a film of the road junction, in the back of a police car, explaining how they should be tackling it.

Officers even took to social media site Facebook to tell their 3,678 Colne and West Craven Police group followers of the crackdown.

Within hours the post, which insisted ‘We are watching you...’ , had more than 1,400 likes and more than 600 shares.

Daily tailbacks develop as Vivary Way is the main route out of East Lancashire to destinations around Skipton and North Yorkshire as well as Keighley and West Yorkshire.

Officers said they will continue to carry out spot checks in the area over the coming months.

Sgt Kim De Curtis who covers Pendle East, said: “The road policing unit were prompted to carry out the checks after a recent influx of complaints from motorists.

“We are not 100 per cent sure, but we believe that it is the first time an initiative like this has been carried out on that stretch of road.

“Five motorists were pulled over and given section 59 anti social driving warnings. They were also shown a video of the junction which points out the road markings and when the driver should be moving lanes.

“The idea is to educate drivers to try and stop them from doing it again.

“By turning to Facebook we have managed to get this message across to a large number of people and we have had an overwhelmingly positive response to the actions we have taken.

“If the problem continues we may start issuing fixed penalty notices, which consists of a £100 fine and three points on their licence.”

Section 59 anti social driving warnings are made against the both the driver and the vehicle and lasts for 12 months.

If the driver of the vehicle or the vehicle with the warning issued to it is then seen driving in an anti social manner again in the next 12 months the vehicle can be seized, police said.

Gary Rae, spokesperson for Brake, the road safety charity, said: “This is a creative and engaging use of Facebook by Colne and West Craven police, clearly designed to reduce potentially risky driving.

“A combination of education and enforcement by the police should serve as a warning to selfish drivers.”

Last year the Lancashire Telegraph reported plans drawn up by Lancashire County Council to put in extra right-hand only markings and to put up physical barriers down the centre of the road to make lane-hopping impossible.

Leader of Pendle Council Joe Cooney applauded the proposals by county highway engineers.

He said: “I back the police with this initiative 100 per cent. It has been an issue for a long time and it is not only dangerous, but could incite road rage as people get really wound up by seeing the cars flying up the road and then cutting in, in front of them.

“There is no excuse for driving like this. Anyone who spots a driver doing this can pass on the car details with the registration number to me and I will pass it on to the police.”

Controversial plans to create a bypass on the M65 around Foulridge, which would alleviate congestion on Vivary Way, are still in the pipeline.