Road tax cheats to be targeted

Untaxed vehicles will be clamped

Drivers who fail to tax their vehicles are to be targeted in a tough new crackdown.

During the operation by police and the Driver & Vehicle Agency, unlicensed and 'runabout' vehicles will be clamped and untaxed vehicles towed away.

The operation, which will run initially for two weeks, will enforce the law against vehicles which have been untaxed for 28 days or more.

A police spokesman described unlicensed vehicles as a "menace on the roads".

Chief Inspector Ian Blayney said: "Many are not only unroadworthy, but are often driven by people who have no driving licence or insurance, presenting a real danger to all road users and pedestrians."

Dangerous

"These untaxed and unregistered vehicles are difficult to trace and are often used as 'run-arounds' by criminal elements.

"Unlicensed vehicles have also been used by drivers who engage in erratic and dangerous driving. The removal of these vehicles will also help reduce the level of anti-social behaviour that has been evident in some parts of the city."

DVA chief executive Brendan Magee said the agency was "committed to making roads safer and reducing vehicle crime".

"Because vehicle tax can only be purchased with a valid MoT and insurance certificate, reducing the number of unlicensed on the road also reduces the number of uninsured and potentially unroadworthy vehicles on our roads," he said.

"This is good news for the law-abiding motorists."

The keeper of a clamped vehicle must pay £200 before the vehicle is released or £80 along with the production of a valid tax disc.

Vehicles not claimed within seven days may be crushed.