A man has been arrested in Wimbledon on suspicion of rape during a police crackdown on uninsured drivers.

Yesterday was the tenth day of action of the Metropolitan Police’s Operation Cubo, launched eight months ago to disrupt criminal activity on London’s roads.

One of the several police check points was in High Path, south Wimbledon where a man wanted for rape was stopped in a car and was subsequently arrested and taken to Wimbledon police station.

Merton Police have not said whether the man has been charged or released.

Three men were also arrested in Lambeth after a shotgun and cartridges were found in their car, which was not insured.

Police said yesterday’s seizures brought the total number of vehicles recovered, since the intiative began in October 2011, to nearly 26,000.

The Met estimates that 80 per cent of uninsured drivers have a criminal record and five times more likely to be involved in collisions.

The head of Operation Cubo, Commander Steve Watson, said: "We are targeting criminals by denying them the use of the roads so it's much harder for them to commit crime.

“We're also helping to make London's roads safer as uninsured drivers are more likely to have collisions and less likely to have road-worthy vehicles.

"We've also been displaying seized vehicles around London this week, such as outside town halls to show the public we are taking action against criminals.

He added: “We're also sending a strong message to people who choose to drive without insurance: that we will seize and possibly sell or crush your vehicle.”

Last month, Merton police reinforced their “zero tolerance message” on unlicenced cars being parked in the street by displaying a seized Jaguar car outside Wimbledon station that they had wrapped in police tape.