Police say abandoned cars are a magnet for criminal activity

A new crackdown on untaxed and abandoned cars means owners face having their cars crushed.

So far, 74 vehicles have been impounded in a new campaign by the police, fire service and the DVLA.

The owners will have to pay �200 to have their cars released.

Inspector David Spencer of Northamptonshire Police said that an owner's failure to respond or pay the fee will mean that the car will be crushed.

He said: "These untaxed vehicles, some abandoned, are often used by criminals to commit crime.

"They also get burned, and we have to engage the fire brigade, so by clearing the area, it solves a lot of problems in one go."

The initiative follows a successful scheme last year in which 105 vehicles were clamped.