Police launch road tax sting

Police will be checking vehicles

Road tax dodgers in Scotland have begun using a special camera system designed to detect unlicensed cars.

The crackdown was launched north of the border on Tuesday.

The Driver and Vehicle Licening Agency (DVLA) has been working in conjunction with police forces who also plan to clamp down on drivers for other offences.

The Stingray cameras read number plates of passing motorists and check them against DVLA records to see if the vehicle excise duty is up to date.

Car lights will come under scrutiny

Offending cars can be captured on film and their owners sent letters telling them to pay the back duty - or face prosecution.

The cameras can snare drivers travelling at more than 100mph and can also read number plates in the dark.

Under the new initiative the DVLA said it would be working closely with police forces in central Scotland who plan to carry out a large number of roadside checks.

Officers have been tasked with examining vehicles for road worthiness - especially tyres, lights and wiper blades - while also checking that the driver has car insurance and a valid MOT certificate.

Taxing time

The DVLA has also brought in wheel-clamping units and has warned that unlicensed vehicles will be immobilised, impounded and crushed.

The head of enforcement at the DVLA, Terry Bernard, has estimated that more than a million people do not pay their road tax - costing the country about £190m a year.

According to the DVLA's Tony Connell, honest motorists will be happy with the campaign.

"We are taking a hard line and stepping up our enforcement activity by introducing the Stingray cameras in a determined effort to clamp down on this irresponsible group who evade paying their tax," Mr Connell said.

"Honest motorists are infuriated at having to subsidise road tax cheats and it is a constant source of resentment."