AS the school prom season gets into full swing one in four stretch limousines stopped during a one-night police clampdown were ordered off the road immediately, the Daily Echo can reveal.
Four of the luxury vehicles were banned because they were in a dangerous condition.
In one case a driver did not even have insurance cover.
The crackdown will horrify parents across Hamp-shire as limousines have become a popular choice for teenage school leavers attending their proms.
The operation was held in Southampton when at least six school proms were being held in the city.
Of the 17 vehicles checked, 70 per cent were found to be committing offences, and 25 per cent were issued with prohibition notices due to their dangerous condition and taken off the road immediately.
Ten of the vehicles stopped were found to be unlicensed and fixed penalty notices were also issued for road tax and insurance offences.
Police inquiries are continuing into a series of other offences.
A spokeswoman for road safety charity Brake told the Daily Echo: "We are absolutely shocked by these figures. The companies involved are risking the lives of every single passenger, their drivers and other road users."
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