DVLA and its contractors NCP Services have tripled the size of their operation in the west Midlands in a bid to clamp down on untaxed vehicles.

The West Midlands now has three teams of vehicles – equipped with Automatic Number Plate Recognition technology – patrolling the streets on the hunt for untaxed vehicles.

The ANPR enables untaxed vehicles to be instantly identified. They can then be clamped or towed away, and only released when the owner pays the tax owed and a fine of £80.

In the year to May 2007 3,391 cars were clamped or towed by NCP Services in the West Midlands as part of the operation, using one team of ANPR and removal trucks.

Now they are aiming to at least double the number of vehicles actioned against.

'We had a great deal of success clamping down on untaxed vehicles in the West Midlands – but there are still more out there, ' said Bethan Beasley of  DVLA’s wheel clamping unit.

 'The people whose vehicles have been removed or clamped are hard-core offenders; not people who have just missed renewing their tax by a few days, but people who have shown no intention of taxing their vehicles.'

'Routinely we find such vehicles have no insurance or MOT, these vehicles are dangerous and the best thing to do is immobilise them or get them off the streets as soon as possible.'

Tim Cowen of NCP Services added: 'In addition to increasing our resources of permanent clamping teams stationed in the West Midlands, we have also moved to a new secure vehicle pound  at Battery Way, Tyseley, which is twice the size of our old one.'

'That means we can be even more efficient at getting these vehicles off the streets.'

 Owners of clamped vehicles must pay a release fee of £80 and a valid vehicle licence must be produced.   They will also be pursued for any back tax that is owed.

Those vehicles that are impounded and not claimed after seven days could be crushed.

Tim Cowen of NCP Services said: 'The streets of the West Midlands will be safer because of this new resource.'

  'It has never been easier to tax your vehicle, you can do it by post, over the phone, at a Post Office or Online, so there is no excuse for not doing it.'

NCP Services has been operating the service on behalf of DVLA since May 2006. In the 12 months to May 2007 around 95,000 untaxed vehicles have been clamped or removed from the UK’s roads.

NCP Services’ 300 strong team working for DVLA runs a fleet of more than 80 vehicles, including vans, which use ANPR technology.