Lib Dem challenges PM to deliver on dumped cars

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 28th May 2001

Local Liberal Democrat candidate, Gareth Hartwell, today challenged the Prime Minister to deliver on his promise of getting dumped cars removed within 24 hours.

Tony Blair made the remarks in an early morning interview on radio earlier in the campaign. Dumped cars are a big problem within the constituency so Gareth took the matter up with the Labour party to find out more about Tony Blair's comments.

Gareth commented,

"It turns out that he was only talking about a possibility of an improvement in getting dumped cars removed at some undefined time in the future. Currently, it usually takes months to get cars removed and in the mean time the cars get vandalised, are dangerous to children and encourage street crime. There is little co-operation between the local authority and the police - the police seem as frustrated as the public with the problem."

"I think we could sort this out with a bit of common sense instead of layers of bureaucracy. Where cars are not taxed, why not visit the owners and tell them to move their cars within 24 hours to avoid being prosecuted? That way the cars get moved quickly. Instead, the council takes months but eventually has to pay the bill for moving the cars and the DVLA takes months to impose a fine."