Local firms will remove cars for free

Officers say the move is aimed at reducing the problems caused by unwanted vehicles left parked on driveways, dumped in gardens or discarded on private land.

Apart from being an eyesore for residents, the force says they are also a potential magnet for anti-social behaviour such as arson attacks and can be a danger to children.

The force says to dispose of them properly can cost owners up to �50, so many prefer instead to leave their vehicles where they stand.

But throughout January owners in the Derwentside area of the county are being offered the chance to get rid of their unwanted vehicles for free.

'Spare parts'

A number of local firms have agreed to support the amnesty and will remove vehicles and ferry them off to a scrap yard free of charge.

A spokeswoman for Durham Police said the scheme would finance itself from the expected scrap value of the recovered vehicles.

She added: "Many of these vehicles are rusting, have their windows broken or flat tyres and sometimes are simply used as a source of spare parts.

"Removing them will help improve the look of certain locations and provide owners with an easy way of shifting something they no longer have a use for."

Similar operations have been mounted recently in the Easington and Durham City areas, with more than 100 vehicles being recovered.