A WAR on car tax cheats is gathering pace with the introduction of widespread clamping.
Wiltshire Police have joined forces with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency to target the 30,000 unlicensed vehicles they estimate are on Wiltshire's roads.
The DVLA's wheel clamping unit started a two-week operation in north and west Wiltshire on Monday, alongside police Stingray cameras, which scan number plates to detect unlicensed cars.
Officers are also checking vehicles for defects and any document offences.
Owners of clamped vehicles have to pay a standard fee and produce a valid tax disc or surety before their vehicles are released.
If they do not do this within 24 hours, the DVLA will tow away and store vehicles before auctioning or crushing them if they remain unclaimed after 14 days.
Road safety officer Sgt Dave Melvin said: "Drivers need to be aware that the DVLA says that it will follow up all offences that its cameras detect.
"Experience tells us that many unlicensed vehicles are also not insured or have a valid MOT and the police and the DVLA want to see offending drivers brought to book as indeed no doubt, do the vast majority of the law abiding motoring public."
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