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05/03/2016

DVLA nets £42k in clampdown on foreign cars outstaying welcome

Nearly 3,000 vehicles seized as DVLA scheme targets drivers failing to register foreign cars after six months

A successful pilot scheme run by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to crack down on foreign cars remaining unregistered in Great Britain has grown into a nationwide operation.

Foreign motorists are allowed to drive for six months on their own country’s plates before needing to apply for a UK registration and pay vehicle excise duty. Since the trial was started in April 2014, the DVLA has seized nearly 3,000 vehicles from abroad that have illegally overstayed in the UK, recouping more than £42,000 in lost taxes.

The first six weeks of the trial saw 237 unregistered foreign vehicles caught.