We remove abandoned vehicles from public land.
This could be a dumped car, van, lorry, motorbike, caravan, trailer or boat.
If a vehicle is poorly parked or does not belong to a resident of the road, it does not mean it is abandoned.
Untaxed vehicles
If the tax on a vehicle has expired, the vehicle may be removed from the road.
You can check the current road tax status of a vehicle on the DVLA website
Removing abandoned vehicles
The council must remove vehicles that have been left on public roads. A vehicle might be abandoned if:
- it has no owner (keeper) listed on the DVLA and is not taxed
- it has not moved for a long time
- it is badly damaged or not safe to drive, for example, flat tyres, missing wheels, or broken windows
- it has been burnt out
- it has no number plate
- the number plate does not match the vehicle identification number (VIN)
- its tax and MOT have run out
The council may remove an abandoned vehicle without giving a warning.
Where removed vehicles go
Vehicles taken away by the council are stored by one of these companies:
If no one claims the vehicle within 14 days, it may be scrapped.
Vehicles on private land
If a vehicle is abandoned on your land:
- ask the DVLA for details about the owner (there is a small fee)
- contact the registered keeper
Abandoned bicycles
You can also report abandoned bikes, including electric bikes.
Abandoned e-scooters and e-bikes
You can report abandoned or misplaced e-scooters and e-bikes through the relevant operators. Each operator's e-scooter is brightly coloured and has a unique ID number which is labelled clearly on the vehicle. When reporting an issue please give the date, time, location, colour and serial number of the e-scooter:
- Lime e-scooters have a green and white frame colour, and black handlebars and wheels. Call Lime on 0800 808 5223 or email support@li.me
- Voi e-scooters have a red frame colour, and black handlebars and wheels. Call Voi on 0800 376 8179 or email support@voi.com