2,000 cars caught in unpaid tax crackdown (From The Northern Echo)

2,000 cars caught in unpaid tax crackdown

8:44am Thursday 12th July 2007 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
•  

ENFORCEMENT teams have clamped or towed away more than 2,000 cars in the North-East since May last year as part of a crackdown on tax dodgers.

A total of 2,341 untaxed cars were successfully targeted in the 13 months to the end of last month.

About 7,000 vehicles were clamped or towed away in Yorkshire during the same period.

The crackdown by the DVLA was co-ordinated by NCP Services on behalf of the agency.

Nationally, the number of vehicles immobilised or removed has doubled since May last year, partly because of the success of new automatic numberplate recognition (ANPR) systems.

NCP services has a fleet of vans using ANPR technology, which can instantly recognise any untaxed vehicle on the road.

The vans have cameras that can read the licence plates of vehicles at up to 20mph, and are backed up with towaway vehicles and clampers.

Bethan Beasley, of DVLA's wheelclamping unit, said: "The people whose vehicles have been removed or clamped are hard-core offenders; not people who have just missed renewing their tax by a few days, but people who have shown no intention of taxing their vehicles.

"Routinely we find such vehicles have no insurance or MOT.

"These vehicles are dangerous, and the best thing to do is immobilise them or get them off the streets as soon as possible."

Tim Cowen, of NCP Services, said: "The streets of the North-East will be safer because of this new campaign."

Owners of clamped vehicles must pay £80, and a valid vehicle licence must be produced for it to be released. They will also be pursued for back tax.

The cars can be destroyed after seven days if unclaimed.