POLICE moved in on a team of 'squeegee' operators cleaning cars on Newport's Cardiff Road yesterday.

The team of four has been operating for the last week, wiping windscreens as vehicles were stationary at the lights outside Tesco.

The area has seen traffic mayhem in recent weeks as people are held up in long queues caused by new traffic- lights and bus lanes.

Some of the 'squeegees' were women nursing babies, and police have expressed alarm at the safety implications of what they were doing. Officers moved them on yesterday. Chief Inspector Peter Fouweather said: "A lot of this activity is uninvited, and dodging in and out of lines of traffic is very dangerous.

"You also need to consider the possible harassment of drivers." Asked whether the squeegee team had affected business at Tesco, duty manager Phil Kethro said that there had not yet been any complaints.

But he continued: "Speaking personally - rather than for Tesco - I do not agree with that sort of thing. Lots of people do not want their windscreens cleaned and maybe do not have the money to pay, but are not strong enough to say 'no'."

Across Cardiff Road, Anthony Bindon, assistant manager at Global Video, agreed that takings had not been affected, but shop assistant Nicola Walsh said some customers were angry.

"This bloke came in the other day and he was not happy at all. He'd said he did not want his screen washed, but they had stopped his car until he had paid," she said.