A TELEGRAPH & Argus campaign to make Bradford's roads safe from dangerous drivers has been shortlisted for a top newspaper award.

Stop the Danger Drivers started last year and inspired a police campaign to crack down on dangerous driving that has so far seen more than 1,600 motorists caught breaking the law.

The campaign also got the backing of senior Government minister Chris Grayling, the leader of the House of Commons, when he visited the city earlier this month who said Bradford had been "dogged" by the issue of bad driving for years and that the campaign was a good example of how a newspaper can make a difference.

Stop The Danger Drivers is one of 32 local newspaper campaigns across the UK which have been delivering real results for local communities and are in the running for the Making a Difference award which will be decided by a public vote during this year’s Local Newspaper Week in May.

Please go online and vote for Stop Danger Drivers campaign from Monday at www.localnewspaperweek.co.uk/Making-a-Difference.

Dashcam footage sent in by readers and stories such as an uninsured motorbike rider caught travelling at 80mph in Wakefield Road, a taxi driver having his licence suspended after breaking road rules at a mini-roundabout and the plight of residents in The Avenue, Clayton, being plagued by reckless anti-social motorists pursuing each other at speeds of up to 60mph, have been featured as part of the T&A campaign.

West Yorkshire Police set up Operation Steerside in response to the campaign after senior officers admitted it had forced them into serious action over a well-known problem.

Steerside was due to end on March 31 but was so successful, police decided to extend it by 12 weeks. In the first phase there were 1,539 motorists caught and in the first week of the extension 118 drivers dealt with and ten vehicles were seized.

There has also been a drop in the number of reported crashes across the district, numbers had reduced from a weekly average of 130 between November and January, to 118 between February 1 and March 20 after the crackdown began.

Telegraph & Argus editor Perry Austin-Clarke said: "This campaign was something we felt we had to do for the vast majority of people in Bradford who use the roads sensibly and legally.

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"We felt something had to be done about the number of anti-social and nuisance drivers causing problems, and launched Stop the Danger Drivers to support them."

Superintendent Damien Miller, of Bradford District Police, said: "We would like to congratulate the Telegraph & Argus for its nomination for the Making a Difference award.

"The Stop The Danger Drivers campaign has clearly struck a chord with the public and we continue to back this through the work of Operation Steerside, which is helping to make the district's roads safer for all."

On-line voting starts on Monday, May 16, at localnewspaperweek.co.uk and the winner will be announced by News Media Association chairman Ashley Highfield at the Society of Editors Regional Press Awards on Friday, May 20.

Please go online and vote for Stop Danger Drivers campaign from Monday at www.localnewspaperweek.co.uk/Making-a-Difference.