MORE than 150 cars and motorbikes are being seized from motorists caught driving without a licence or insurance every month in the Lothians.
The police blitz on illegal driving has also seen a third of the confiscated vehicles turned into scrap or sold after the owners failed to reclaim them.
Motorists caught without a driving licence, valid insurance or a tax disc can have their vehic
les impounded under laws launched in June 2006.
Between January and the end of September, 1387 vehicles were seized in the Lothians, with 846 being taken off the roads in the Capital alone.
Motoring groups today welcomed the seizures, which they believe are cutting accidents. Retired police inspector David Legge now works as the force's vehicle recovery liaison officer in charge of disposing of the confiscated property.
He said: "If a driver has the mindset where they don't have a licence or pay insurance, they are more likely to be involved in an accident. They are also more likely to be involved in future criminal offences involving the vehicle.
"Taking those individuals off the roads is better for everyone."
The nine-month total represents a drop on last year's average seizure figures when around 200 vehicles were being taken from road menaces caught by police.
It is understood that seizure rates have decreased by around a quarter for this year in part due to the impact of removing more than 4000 vehicles from offenders.
Owners have to pay a £105 removal fee, as well as a daily storage charge of £12, to have their cars returned. They also have to provide documents proving they now have tax, insurance or a licence.
A total of 485 vehicles were scrapped or sold in the first nine months of this year, with the profits from sales going towards storage costs. Senior officers also said the clampdown has uncovered other crimes, such as drug possession, and bolstered police intelligence on offenders.
Police are also finding that a large proportion of drivers having vehicles seized are immigrants from Eastern Europe. Many are unaware of the stricter regulations in Scotland, but some are deliberately seeking to cut costs and blame any offence on a lack of legal knowledge.
Neil Greig, policy chief with the AA, said: "Surveys continually show that law-abiding drivers are more than happy to have the strongest possible sanctions taken out against drivers who take to the roads without tax or insurance.
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Earlier this week, it was revealed that more than 80 cars and motorcycles have been seized by police in the Lothians during the last nine months as the force steps up operations against antisocial driving. Youths terrorising local communities by driving in fields and in estates are among those who have been targeted by the crackdown.
Officers have also issued 612 warnings under antisocial behaviour laws since January, with the drivers facing having their vehicles confiscated if they offend again.
The full article contains 496 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
