Abandoned vehicles
What to do if you think a vehicle has been abandoned
It’s important to report abandoned
vehicles to the borough council as they can be dangerous and may
have been used in a crime. It's not always easy to tell if a
vehicle has been abandoned. Make sure that you don’t enter or touch
the vehicle. If it has been involved in a crime, the vehicle
will need to be investigated by the police. It may also contain
hazardous waste and could be a fire risk.
Check the vehicle has been abandoned
There are a number of things that you can check to find out if
the vehicle may have been abandoned before contacting the local
council:
- are any of the tyres flat or have any of the wheels been
removed
- is there litter or a lot of leaves under the vehicle – this may
mean that it hasn’t moved for some time
- is the windscreen or any of the windows broken
- does the vehicle have number plates
- does the vehicle contain items of waste, like tyres, old
newspapers, or general rubbish
- have any parts, like the bumper, seats or radio, been removed
or damaged
- is there any graffiti on the vehicle
- are there wires hanging from the dashboard because the vehicle
has been 'hot-wired' (driven without keys by connecting ignition
wires together)
You should also check if there is a tax disc on the
vehicle and whether it's past the expiry date. If possible,
you should check with your neighbours or local businesses to see if
anyone knows anything about the ownership of the vehicle.
Report the vehicle
If you decide that the vehicle has been abandoned,
you should inform us. You’ll need to provide all the
information you can about the vehicle.
You can report the abandoned vehicle by phoning the contact
centre using the number on the right hand of this page or by using
our online form.