Number plate scanning vans in car tax crackdown

Fleets of wheel-clamping vans armed with number plate scanning technology will hit the UK's streets in an attempt to reduce the number of untaxed and illegal vehicles on the road.

The vans will be equipped with automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras that will scan car number plates and check them against the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency's (DVLA) database of untaxed vehicles.

The ANPR vans will be operated by car-parking group NCP, which has signed a three-year deal with the DVLA.

The DVLA is aiming to double the number of untaxed cars removed from UK roads and the rate of removal will be increased to 2,000 vehicles per week under the new crackdown. There are an estimated 1.5 million unlicensed vehicles in the UK, according to government figures.

Vehicles identified as untaxed by the ANPR vans will be clamped and impounded. For clamped vehicles a valid tax disc must be produced along with a release fee of £80. Those cars not claimed within seven days can be crushed.

The DVLA said the "zero tolerance" approach will help cut the number of illegal and unsafe cars on UK roads.

Transport secretary Stephen Ladyman said in a statement: "We are sending out a clear message today to the small hardcore of evaders who have no intention of paying tax; we will take your car, no more warnings. These anti-social drivers often have no insurance, drive unsafe vehicles and are involved in wider criminal activity."