A drive to clear the county's roads of untaxed vehicles has been launched as Wiltshire Council officers team up with DVLA officials.

Each year in Wiltshire there are about 2,500 reports of untaxed vehicles.

And as well as being untaxed, these vehicles may have no MoT certificate or insurance and potentially may have been involved in crime, says the council.

Wiltshire residents often report untaxed vehicles and the council’s enforcement officers often see untaxed vehicles when they attend to reported abandoned vehicles.

Previously Wiltshire Council could only report these to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).

Now Wiltshire Council has been granted new powers by the DVLA so they can tackle the problem.

From this month council officers can check a vehicle’s tax status with the DVLA immediately, and if it meets the criteria, clamp the vehicle or remove it from the highway or land.

To claim the vehicle back those affected will need to pay the release fee plus either get a valid tax disc or pay a surety fee (deposit) which is refundable within 14 days of taxing.

If it is not claimed it will be disposed of. The DVLA will continue to carry out prosecutions for any vehicle tax offences that may have been committed.

Coun John Thomson, cabinet member with responsibility for enforcement, said: “Working closely with the DVLA means we can deal with ongoing issues of untaxed vehicles quickly and efficiently.

"Where they meet the criteria we’ll ensure they either get properly licensed or have them removed from the streets, helping to make them safer and potentially reduce crime in our communities.”