The police yesterday arrested eight persons as they began their crackdown on windshield washers accused of robbing and abusing motorists at major intersections in the Corporate Area.

Head of the Police Traffic Division, Superintendent Radcliffe Lewis, who vowed to be relentless in this crackdown, said the drive forms part of his traffic management re-organisation project for the Corporate Area.

In addition to holding up traffic, Lewis said the men throw water or spit on female motorists and use nails and knives to scratch the vehicles of motorists who refuse to give them money.

"I want to warn these (windshield) wipers, once they are arrested, they must go and they must not come back," Lewis said yesterday.

"If they are found there (wiping windshields in the streets) 20 times, they will be arrested and charged," he added.

The eight men who were arrested yesterday are to face charges of obstructing traffic, failing to move and keep on moving and obstructing pedestrians under the Town and Community Act.

Superintendent Lewis said each charge carries a fine of $5,000.

Yesterday's operations were carried out at the intersections of Hope, Waterloo and Trafalgar roads, in the vicinity of Devon House, a popular location for these windshield wipers.

Other operations were also conducted at the intersections of Oxford and Old Hope roads, Oxford and Half-Way Tree roads, and Hagley Park Road and Maxfield Avenue.