MOTORISTS jumping red lights will face court action after a police operation to tackle gridlock at Handy Cross roundabout.

Six police officers, who were stationed covering every junction at the notorious roundabout, stopped 39 motorists between 7.45am and 8.45am on Tuesday.

All the drivers will be issued with summonses to appear at High Wycombe Magistrates Court.

Police have warned they will carry out similar operations in the future in a bid to ease traffic congestion at Handy Cross.

They say they aim to catch drivers responsible for making the situation worse.

The action follows fears last week from school headteachers that gridlock at the roundabout could wreck exam schedules.

They told of their concern as GCSE and A-level exams got under way after City and Guilds exams were delayed for up to half-an-hour when traffic lights failed.

A police spokesman said: "The problem of people jumping the lights makes a major contribution to the Handy Cross roundabout gridlocking on an almost weekly basis.

"It's also fair to say we were gathering evidence on the extent of the problem and we are pressuring various agencies for a long-term solution, whether it be an advance warning of problems on the roundabout, or cameras on the traffic lights to stop motorists jumping the lights."

He added: "This is something that we will do again.

"Motorists need to be aware that by jumping the lights they are not getting to their destinations any quicker. All they are achieving is jamming the roundabout up completely."

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