A WOMAN has landed herself a date in court after hurling abuse at police in front of shocked schoolchildren during a road safety crackdown.

Police were out in force on Eastmayne and Felmores, in Basildon, on Wednesday as they carried out the latest in a series of operations in the borough.

Officers were out to snare motorists flouting the law by committing offences such as driving while uninsured and not wearing seatbelts.

During the safety drive, police and road safety officers from Essex County Council also carried out a “speedwatch” outside the Willows Primary School in Church Road, Basildon.

Using speed guns they stopped passing motorists caught breaking the limit and drivers were given the chance to receive a £60 fine and three penalty points or be questioned by the children about their poor driving.

While outside the school, officers were forced to confront one woman who had parked on the zig-zag lines, which are designed to keep children safe when crossing.

But the woman became abusive and began swearing at police, in front of the shocked children.

She has now been summoned to court for parking and public order offences.

During the crackdown, police also arrested one man on suspicion of possessing drugs with intent to supply after he was found with cannabis in his car.

The 28-year-old from Wickford has since been bailed. In total, police seized 11 uninsured vehicles, 76 drivers were stopped for not wearing seatbelts and 11 were caught using mobiles while driving. Another 55 vehicles had no valid MoT and five drivers had invalid licences.

Sgt Simon Wilsher, of Essex Police’s casualty reduction section, who led the operation, said: “We seized 11 cars for no insurance and placed them strategically around the sites with large stickers on them, so members of the public could see what we were doing.

“As always, we received much positive feedback from this and hundreds of people would have driven past and seen these seized vehicles.”