Three motorcycles were seized by the traffic officers on Sunday evening (May 10) in a crackdown across the city.

Two people were arrested as a result of the chase, which also saw the dog unit get involved.

A police spokesman said: “Three stolen vehicles are one step closer to being returned to their owners after we deployed a number of marked and unmarked tactical pursuit and containment units to Oxford earlier today in what can only be described as a highly successful operation.

READ MORE: Oxford police given extra powers after multiple arrests made

“We engaged in a number of simultaneous pursuits across the city, arresting two people and recovering stolen property. What more could you want?

“If you’re going to engage in theft of motor vehicles, don’t say we didn’t warn you. We will pursue you, we will catch you and you will get an all inclusive room at our nearest custody.”

In December, the force said motorbike and moped thefts ‘remain a concern’ in Oxford.

Officers urged all riders to take ‘extra steps’ to protect their vehicles, such as using a high-quality lock, installing a tracker or alarm, covering their bike, and parking in well-lit, busy areas.

They said that if anyone is acting suspiciously around motorbikes or mopeds, or notice vehicles that seem out of place, it should be reported to Thames Valley Police.

Trading Standards officers raided the shop on the evening of Friday, May 1 following police action at the same locations earlier in the year.

Earlier that same day, the director of one of the companies linked to the premises had been interviewed under caution.

Despite this, when officers returned, they found more illicit tobacco hidden, Oxfordshire County Council said.

READ MORE: Oxford police given extra powers after multiple arrests made

In total, 5,900 counterfeit and smuggled cigarettes and 950 grams of hand rolling tobacco were confiscated.

Oxfordshire County Council said the business cannot be named while the ongoing criminal investigation is ongoing.

The latest seizure follows raids in March, when officers found more than 13,000 illicit cigarettes, almost nine kilograms of illegal tobacco products, nicotine pouches and single use vapes at seven locations across Cowley and Headington.

The two premises in question were revisited after evidence suggested the illegal activity was continuing.

Investigations are ongoing. The businesses could face criminal prosecution, financial penalties and licence reviews.

Davina Walkin, Trading Standards operations manager, said: “Despite previous enforcement action and clear warnings, some businesses are still willing to take the risk.

“These latest seizures show we are even more determined to act whenever and wherever necessary, including late at night and over bank holiday weekends, to protect our communities.”

Councillor Jenny Hannaby (Image: Newsquest)

Jenny Hannaby, cabinet member for community safety, added: “We hear people’s concerns about the changing face of their high streets and the rise of shops used as fronts for crime.

“Our message is simple: stop funding organised crime.

“Every time someone buys counterfeit cigarettes, the money helps criminal activity take hold in our communities.”

Under the new rules, only learners can book and manage practical driving tests.

The change, which came into force today (Tuesday, May 12), is intended to stop commercial operators from using automated bots to snap up appointments and resell them at inflated prices.

New DVSA driving test booking rules come into force

Emma Bush, managing director of AA Driving School, said: “Learner drivers continue to face unacceptable delays in accessing driving tests.

“The data clearly shows more needs to be done to really get a handle on the situation and start to push waiting times back.”

A BBC investigation in December found that driving test touts were offering instructors up to £250 a month for access to their booking accounts.

The National Audit Office later revealed that some learners were paying as much as £500 through the black market for a test slot, with standard fees just £62.

As of April 6, the average wait time to book a driving test had risen to 22.4 weeks, up from 20.8 weeks in January.

In February 2020, before the pandemic, the average wait was just five weeks.

From June 12, learners will only be able to move a booking to one of the three closest test centres to their original choice.

This is to prevent people from blocking slots at distant locations with the intention of swapping to a preferred centre later.

Such practices make it difficult for the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) to plan capacity at individual test centres.

Other recent changes include reducing the number of booking changes allowed, from six to two.

Ms Bush said the ban on instructor bookings is “unlikely to be the silver bullet which turns the tide on long waiting times,” but welcomed it as a step toward an improved system.

She said: “It is only part of the solution, though.

“To really improve waiting times over a prolonged period, there needs to be unrelenting focus from the DVSA on retaining and recruiting driving test examiners.”

The latest restrictions also make it illegal to book a driving test on behalf of someone else.

New theory test questions for 2026

As well as the changes to practical test bookings, the DVSA has also made changes to the theory test.

From 2026, new questions will come in focusing on CPR techniques, including hand placement, compression rates, and depth.

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There will also be questions covering how to identify and operate an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) in a roadside emergency.

The questions, designed with the Resuscitation Council UK, aim to prepare drivers for real-life emergencies rather than just testing theoretical knowledge.

How many attempts do you think it should take to pass a theory and practical driving test? Let us know in the comments.