A man has been issued with a fixed penalty and fined £200 after dumping a car in Grizebeck, despite attempting to cover his tracks.
South Lakeland District Council (SLDC) was informed that the vehicle had been abandoned by local residents, triggering an investigation by the authority’s enforcement team to find the owner and leading to the car being scrapped.
In an apparent bid to avoid the vehicle being traced back to him, the owner of the grey Ford Fiesta had removed both registration plates and the chassis number from the window screen, but council officers were able to find the registered keeper’s details after locating the vehicle identification number.
The council is reminding residents and visitors that it is an offence to abandon a vehicle.
Councillor Eric Morell, SLDC’s customer and commercial and people portfolio holder, said: “This case shows that officers will investigate every avenue possible to trace owners and take action against anyone who illegally abandons a vehicle.
“Abandoning a vehicle is a criminal offence and will not be tolerated in South Lakeland. The person responsible can be given a fixed penalty notice of £200 and if unpaid taken to court, where they could be fined up to £2,500 or face three months’ imprisonment.
“Abandoned vehicles damage the environment, causing harm to wildlife and pollution to the area.”
If you suspect that a vehicle is abandoned consider the following things before reporting it:
Check whether the vehicle is taxed at: www.gov.uk/check-vehicle-tax. A vehicle should only be reported as abandoned if it is untaxed.
A vehicle in good condition is unlikely to be abandoned. An abandoned vehicle may have flat tyres, broken windows, wheels removed or significant damage.
An abandoned vehicle is usually one which has been left unused in one location for several weeks and may not be roadworthy.
For more information on abandoned and nuisance vehicles visit: www.southlakeland.gov.uk.
