COMPANY car drivers were among hundreds of motorists stopped by police in a crackdown on poor eyesight.

A number of those stopped had vision so bad they were told they could not continue on their journey and many more were only just legal.

The operation, by Essex Police, saw more than 1,300 drivers pulled over and tested to see if they could read a registration plate from 20.5 metres.

Inspector Mark Harman was horrified that, although only 16 drivers failed the eyesight test, many more could only just meet the standard. He said: ‘In some cases, people were driven home by my officers to ensure they did not pose any further danger to other road users.’