A major police crackdown across central London has resulted in the confiscation of 72 supercars with a combined value approaching £7million during a weekend enforcement operation.

The Metropolitan Police collaborated with the Motor Insurers' Bureau to target motorists driving without proper insurance and engaging in disruptive behaviour throughout Hyde Park, Kensington and Chelsea.

The operation deployed 75 officers from the Met's Special Constabulary and Vehicle Enforcement Team, who utilised sophisticated detection methods including automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology, predictive tracking systems and vehicle identification markers.

Luxury supercars comprised a significant portion of the impounded vehicles, with many having been transported to Britain from overseas for summer visits.

The Motor Insurers' Bureau seized a number of expensive supercars over the weekend

The enforcement action addressed mounting complaints from residents, businesses and tourists about dangerous driving in these affluent London neighbourhoods.

Among the confiscated vehicles were two matching purple Lamborghinis that had been transported by air specifically for their owner's British holiday.

One driver had arrived in the country merely two hours before police stopped him, having been behind the wheel for only 15 minutes when officers impounded his vehicle.

The high-performance cars had been brought from overseas, with their owners depending on insurance policies from their native countries, failing to confirm whether these provided legitimate coverage for UK roads.

The MIB noted that insurance issues often correlate with other crimes

The seizures highlighted a pattern of international visitors arriving with expensive vehicles but lacking a proper understanding of British insurance requirements.

Many of the confiscated supercars had been shipped or flown into Britain by wealthy tourists who assumed their foreign insurance policies would suffice for driving in the UK.

The enforcement action exposed numerous criminal offences beyond insurance violations, with officers discovering individuals sought for assault causing actual bodily harm and criminal damage.

Police uncovered drug-related crimes and recovered stolen vehicles during the weekend initiative, while immigration violations were also detected amongst those stopped.

Special Chief Officer James Deller from the Metropolitan Police, who participated in the operation, said: "The Met is committed to tackling anti-social behaviour.

"This operation was set up to respond to resident, business and visitors' concerns about high-value vehicles causing a nuisance in known hotspot areas in central and west London."

He noted the force had already achieved a 19 per cent reduction in neighbourhood crime compared with the previous year.

Deller added: "We've had some real success - thank you to Special Constable colleagues who volunteer their time to help drive down crime across London."

A total of 72 supercars were seized as part of the weekend operation

The breadth of criminal activity discovered reinforced connections between uninsured driving and broader lawbreaking, with offences frequently overlapping with drug trafficking, drink-driving, excessive speeding and money laundering operations.

Britain faces a severe problem with uninsured motorists, with someone falling victim to an uninsured or hit-and-run driver every 20 minutes, according to statistics from the Motor Insurers' Bureau.

The operation revealed that not all violations were deliberate, with some motorists making innocent errors, such as informing the DVLA about personalised number plates while neglecting to update their insurance providers.

Martin Saunders, Head of Uninsured Driving Prevention at MIB, emphasised the importance of vigilance: "We urge all motorists to check their insurance policy is in place, is appropriate for their needs and to reach out to their insurer if they are unsure on any part of their policy."