Abandoned and nuisance vehicles

Abandoned vehicles

Abandoned vehicles can pose a hazard on the roads by obstructing traffic and pedestrians. They can also be an eyesore that blights the community.

A vehicle may be abandoned if it:

• has not been moved for 21 days or more
• is in poor condition with signs of damage (e.g. flat tyres, broken windows)
• is untaxed

You can check whether a vehicle is taxed by entering its registration number using the GOV.UK vehicle enquiry service.

Please note that vehicles subject to arson are crime scenes and should be reported to the police by calling 101.

We can remove any vehicle we think is abandoned under the Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978.

Report an abandoned vehicle

If you believe a vehicle is abandoned, please report it to us.

You will need to tell us:

• the vehicle registration number
• the make, model and colour of the vehicle
• the location of the vehicle

Report an abandoned vehicle

We aim to investigate and remove all abandoned and nuisance vehicles within three to four weeks. There may be some delay in removing an abandoned vehicle on private land as we will first need to notify the landowner.

Please note that we do not investigate vehicles that:

• are taxed and in working condition
• are on private land and have been there for less than two months
• are on public land or the highway and have been there for less than one month (unless the vehicle is damaged)