Three men have been arrested and 22 vehicles seized in Waltham Forest police's latest crackdown on uninsured drivers.

Nearly 80 officers used numberplate recognition cameras in several busy roads on Wednesday as part of the Met's on-going 'Operation Cubo'.

Police say 80 per cent of uninsured drivers are habitual criminals and are five times more likely top be involved in crashes than ordinary drivers.

Those arrested include an 18-year-old for driving without insurance or a licence and a 25-year-old on immigration offences.

A 54-year-old was held over fraud offences and has been bailed until March.

Cars were stopped at locations including Forest Road and Chingford Road in Walthamstow, along with Lea Bridge Road and Argall Way in Leyton.

Chief Inspector Daniel O'Connor said: "Yet again Operation Cubo has achieved some outstanding results.

"These operations are about disrupting the offenders that use their vehicles to commit crime in Waltham Forest borough and beyond.

"Often during operations like this one we come across offenders of other crimes such as fraud and immigration.

"We will continue to crack down on illegal road users throughout the year."

The maximum penalty for driving a vehicle without insurance is six penalty points and a £200 fine, and can lead to a driving ban in some cases.