Ref. 28285-59FIFTY abandoned cars are littering the streets and car parks of Wootton Bassett.

Now civic leaders have called for a crackdown on the rising tide of dumped vehicles.

Conservative town councillor John Allen has counted 50 abandoned cars and says they are causing an eyesore and taking up parking spaces.

He said: "A lot of these cars are in parking areas, and we are short of parking in this town.

"In one car park, around 10 out of 72 spaces have been taken up.

"It's a problem that the police and the district council don't seem to want to do anything about."

North Wiltshire District Councillor Kerrie Dixon (Lib Dem) is also fighting against the problem, but says the council's hands are tied by red tape.

She said: "We are doing the best we can with the resources we have. I am looking into how we can speed things up."

If a dumped car is not dangerous, steps have to be taken to trace the owner. This takes time and leads to cars being left up to months at a time.

If there is a local owner but the vehicle is untaxed, the district council cannot remove it. The Driving and Vehicle Licensing Agency has to start a prosecution for the tax offence and then remove the car.

Coun Dixon said: "If the car is burnt out or damaged then it gets taken away quite quickly. But I don't want people setting things on fire just to get then taken away quicker. I want people to persuade people to dispose of unwanted cars in a responsible manner."

The European Union's End-of-Life Vehicles directive means vehicle owners must pay for scrapping and recycling costs that's the reason why the number of abandoned vehicles is rising.

Abandoned cars from Wootton Bassett go to Wiltshire Waste in Devizes, where they are drained of fluids and have tyres removed before crushing. It costs around £100 a vehicle. The public can also go to the Green Recycling Group, Bristol Road, Chippenham, where unwanted vehicles are scrapped for free if people bring their logbooks.

Sgt Andy Fortune of Wootton Bassett police said: "This has been an ongoing problem for a number of years.

"The police have specific powers. If the cars are on the road, causing an obstruction or a danger then we can remove them immediately. If they are off the road, like on a grass verge, our powers don't extend there and we notify the district council."

The number for the Green Recycling Group is 01249 652511. The hotline for people to report abandoned cars in the district council area is 01249 706430, and 01793 463463 in the Swindon area.

Swindon has similar problems to to Wootton Bassett with 1,300 cars left in the streets over the past year 200 more than Manchester.