Abandoned Vehicles

What is an abandoned vehicle

You can tell if a vehicle has been abandoned if it meets at least one of the conditions below:

• Overall condition, age and appearance of the vehicle such as if it is significantly damaged, run down or unroadworthy, for example - flat tyres, missing wheels or broken windows
• If the vehicle has been left in place for over 21 days
• If the vehicle is burnt out
• If the vehicle has no valid road tax and an MOT in place
• If the number plate is missing
• If the vehicle has a significant amount of rubbish or waste inside and looks untidy.

Check the tax and MOT status of a vehicle

Before you report a vehicle as abandoned, please check the tax and MOT status of a vehicle on the Government's website.

You should report an untaxed vehicle to the DVLA.

Remember, there could be legal reasons a vehicle has been left somewhere such as:

• The owner of the vehicle could be visiting a friend or relative
• The owner could have suddenly been taken ill or gone into hospital
• The owner is on holiday and left the car at a different location
• The vehicle has broken down.

Report an abandoned vehicle

If you have checked the vehicle you are concerned about meets the criteria for being an abandoned vehicle you can report it to us. We will then invesitgate.

You can use our online form to make your report. Please provide us with the following information:

• Make and model (e.g. Ford Mondeo)
• Colour
• Registration number
• Location and general condition of vehicle.

Use our online form to report an abandoned vehicle to us.

Report an abandoned vehicle

If the vehicle is causing an obstruction on the highway, please report it to the police by calling 101.

What happens after a report has been made

Once a vehicle has been reported to us, our officers will visit the site within five working days.

If we agree the vehicle has been abandoned, we will place a notice on the vehicle, giving the owner 15 days to remove it.

If this does not happen, we will remove the vehicle and it will be potentially destroyed under the Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978 Section 3 (1)(5).