UNTAXED vehicles can be seized from the roads by Wiltshire Police from next week.

Starting Monday (September 24) the police have been granted "devolved power" by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to remove vehicles without tax from the county's roads, alongside cars without insurance and drivers without license.

Sergeant Simon Drewett, head of the road safety unit, said there is "little sympathy with those who drive without tax," adding: “Devolved powers is primarily about removing both unlawful vehicles and those used in crime.

"It has long been known that vehicles driven without the correct documentation are many times more likely to be involved in both fatal and serious collisions; driven in either a careless manner or in poor condition and also by those who choose to flout legislation such as drink drive.

“Our message is straightforward – tax it, insure it, or lose It.”

According to the Department for Transport (DfT, 2017), 1.8 per cent of all licensed vehicles in use are untaxed, translating to 11,700 vehicles not being taxed in Wiltshire alone.

Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire, Angus Macpherson said: “This may seem low level compared to other types of crime that the police deal with, but we’re told time and time again that it’s a frustration for the communities where these cars are parked.

“By picking up on these sorts of crimes the police are able to better prevent and detect further criminality.

"If you don’t adhere to the laws of the road with a roadworthy vehicle, carrying insurance and tax then you simply should not be driving one.”

To check vehicle tax and MOT visit the Gov UK website.