A suspected illegal driving instructor was arrested last week following a police crackdown on “fake” instructors.

The arrest was made in Ilford following a joint operation, in east and west London, between the Metropolitan Police and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).

He was arrested for taking payment for driving instruction without being registered as a driving instructor.

Section 123 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 prohibits drivers from receiving payment for providing driving instruction unless they are qualified and registered with the DVSA.

Throughout the three day operation, from Wednesday to Friday, 74 vehicles were stopped, one arrest was made, one vehicle was seized, and one summons was issued to a registered instructor for failing to display the required license in their vehicle.

The head of the DVSA Fraud and Integrity Team, Andy Rice, said: “We urge all learners to ensure their instructor is qualified to teach by checking they display a valid DVSA badge in their windscreen.

“Learners can also use the free ‘Find a driving instructor’ service on gov.uk to see details of their nearest instructors who are approved and registered with the DVSA.

“All approved driving instructors undergo regular assessments of their ability to teach and are also CRB checked.

“Illegal driving instruction is rare but when it happens can potentially be very serious. We investigate all reported cases and work with the police to bring offenders to justice.”

The DVSA has since issued guidelines on how to spot “fake” driving instructors.

It says a DVSA approved licence, which is either pink and triangular or green and octagonal, must be displayed in the front windscreen of their car. Pink for trainees and green for fully qualified instructors.

It also states: “The inside of the license must show a photograph of the instructor and valid date. It should also have the instructor’s name and number on it.”