Road tax dodgers caught on camera

1:49pm Friday 18th May 2007

Comments (4)   Have your say »

A DOZEN motorists were caught driving illegally on a town's roads in just one day.

Police and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) carried out a joint clampdown on car tax cheats in the Blackburn, catching 12 offenders.

Some 10 vehicles parked around town were clamped after being found without a valid tax disc.

In addition, number plate check cameras uncovered another two vehicles on the move which did not have tax discs.

Drivers were fined and told to get their car tax or face further penalties.

Motorists whose parked cars were clamped have 24 hours to make contact with the DVLA and make arrangements to pay the £200 fine before the vehicle is taken to the DVLA compound.

The DVLA will then make contact with the registered owner and if that person does not collect the vehicle within 14 days, it will be crushed.

Nigel Brooke, police community support officer for Mill Hill and Lower Darwen, said: "We will continue to work closely with the DVLA, sharing information about danger-ous vehicles and seizing untaxed vehicles at the roadside where necessary.

"Not only are people who do this putting their lives at risk but also putting those of others at risk."

Senior DVLA enforcement officer Dave Clarke said: "The main focus of the operation was safety of motorists and other road users.

"The operation was about having a visible presence to show we are taking tax evasion seriously.

"We often find that motorists who fail to tax their vehicles are committing other motoring offences such as having no insurance or no MOT, which is why joint police and DVLA operations are crucial to making the roads safer for everyone."