Police clamp down on untaxed cars

Lianne Cooper

02 May 2008

CAR TAX evaders are under close scrutiny as West Mercia Police clamp down on vehicles which should not be on the road.
Not only do untaxed vehicles cost tax-payers an estimated £79million a year nationally, they are also linked to more significant issues of crime and road safety.
Recent police operations have revealed that up to 70 per cent of the occupants of untaxed vehicles are involved in other criminal activity, while an estimated 80 per cent of untaxed vehicles have no insurance.
In an attempt to reduce these figures, the constabulary has joined forces with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).
Untaxed vehicles are identified from DVLA records and issued with a penalty. Those who attempt to avoid this by failing to register their details with DVLA, or who refuse to pay the penalty, are also targeted through a national wheel clamping operation, which can result in offenders’ cars being clamped, impounded and crushed.
The DVLA’s wheel clamping contractor, NCP, uses a fleet of vans equipped with Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology, which can check number plates against a list of untaxed vehicles in seconds.
Chief Inspector Andy Udall said tackling the problem was an ongoing issue for West Mercia, and the latest action would make it harder than ever for car tax evaders to escape detection.
"Detection and enforcement is carried out on a regular basis by the Roads Policing and ANPR teams across Worcestershire. We are determined to deny criminals the use of roads in West Mercia and will continue to work with the DVLA to catch car tax evaders," he said.
"Our message to persistent car and motorcycle tax evaders is clear - there is no way out and no chance to avoid detection.
"We know that persistent car tax evaders are likely to be the same criminals that cause misery in our community. We are determined to keep our roads safe and tackling car tax evaders is a key part of our strategy."
Through the targeting of untaxed vehicles, police officers around the UK have been able to make arrests for a variety of different offences, from supplying drugs to possession of weapons.
For more information on car tax visit www.direct.gov.uk/motoring.

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