Crushing blow for car-scrap cowboys

A loophole in vehicle licensing rules is being closed after a campaign by Oldham MEP Chris Davies.

Mr Davies campaigned against cowboy scrap dealers who exploit the loophole which allows owners of old bangers to claim that they are scrapping the cars themselves.

He says it has also led to thousands of old tyres and car parts being dumped. There is also concern over the environment-damaging dumping of thousands of gallons of oil and brake fluid.

Now the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority is to issue revised V5C registration forms.

Owners will have to take their cars to a licensed scrapyard and get a certificate of destruction to prove it has been scrapped properly.

Mr Davies has worked for four years with operators of licensed waste treatment facilities to get the changes made and environmental standards improved.

He said: “The figures suggest that up to a million cars have been taken apart and scrapped on driveways in the last five years. This is clearly absurd. Rogue scrap dealers advertising for old cars need to be put out of business. They are not paying tax, they harm the environment, and they undercut legitimate vehicle dismantlers.”


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