Street car sales being crushed (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Street car sales being crushed

11:21am Thursday 3rd August 2006 in Swindon

PEOPLE who try to sell their cars on Swindon's streets face having their vehicles crushed and being billed for the work.

The council are taking a tough approach to crackdown on hotspots such as Drakes Way, a road residents say has been turned into a garage forecourt.

Tuesday saw one of the few remaining cars on Drakes Way removed to be destroyed.

The owner of the red Fiesta has no way of getting it back and can expect a bill on their doormat for the cost of the recovery.

The council's director of environment and health, Steve Harcourt, said: "We are determined to do something about the antisocial behaviour and the nuisance caused to people in Drakes Way by the sale of cars.

"Four weeks ago we were getting 30-35 cars a day being offered for sale now we are down to four or five.

"Not only does that cause nuisance to people who live in the area but people who buy the cars from the side of a road are at risk of being defrauded and buying an un-roadworthy car.

"If people choose to ignore the warnings we will do whatever is necessary to crack it."

The council have been putting stickers on cars for sale on the road warning both the seller and potential buyers of the trouble they could be in.

Any vehicles which are not taxed are getting a 24-hour warning sticker, after which they can be taken away and scrapped.

PCSO Dave Barrance said that he had received numerous complaints about the cars from members of the public.

"People in the area are fed up with them," he said.

"They have parked in positions before that have been dangerous for kids."

Coun Mavis Childs (Con, Walcot) welcomed the tough new stance. "At long last something is being done," she said.

"I have fought this for nearly three years.

"I had phone calls continuously from residents whose lives were absolute hell.

"At least now they have got some peace and quiet.

"The message has to get across that it's no longer a garage forecourt."

Brian Kibble-White, 68, a resident of Drakes Way, said: "It's a total nightmare here, especially at night when they can be round parking cars up to 11pm.

"It's good to see the cars being taken away."