Radical changes are being made to speed up the removal of dumped cars littering Basildon streets.

Instead of cutting through miles of red tape trying to trace the owners through the DVLA, Basildon Council will now be able to access information directly from a police database.

Nearly 800 dumped vehicles have been removed from the district in just six months.

A national survey of councils earlier this year revealed Basildon came above cities like Manchester for abandoned cars.

Basildon PC Darren Griffin and the council's abandoned vehicle's officer, Sheila Jones, are heading the project, which could cut the removal time by weeks or even months.

Richard Llewellyn, chairman of the council's environment committee, said: "I am delighted we now have this joint protocol which will help speed up the removal of abandoned vehicles and will help us get rid of these eyesores and potential hazards."

Basildon has been plagued by the menace of dumped cars which have become a magnet to youths who see them as an opportunity for vandalism.

Many have been gutted or completely wrecked by thugs and left to rust, while the wheels of bureaucracy slowly turn to get them removed.

Basildon estates badly hit by the problem include Craylands, Five Links and the old Fryerns School, which has become a playground for vandals.

In the past the council has had to write to the DVLA to get information on the owners of the vehicles - which can take up to three weeks - before the agonisingly long and complicated procedure to get them shifted can begin.

Now the new scheme, drawn up under the Crime and Disorder Reduction Strategy, has paved the way for a more streamlined approach by "cutting out the middle man".

Southend Council has signed a similar deal with police to share access to information.

Basildon police Supt Denis Sheppard said: "The database information sharing will enable us to get rid of the vehicles much quicker.

"It is good news for the environment and from a public safety point of view."

Checks - PC Darren Griffin and Sheila Jones investigate this car dumped in Basildon

By Glenn Cordingley

Reporter's e-mail: glenn.cordingley@notes.newsquest.co.uk

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