Police tow and clamp over 50 vehicles in Chesham, Amersham and Chalfonts

The Thames Valley Police officers joined forces with the DVLA on Tuesday and Wednesday as they went on patrol in the Chiltern villages – and the number of untaxed vehicles they found was hard to believe.

On Tuesday, the officers spent all day patrolling in Chesham, where they towed away eight vehicles and clamped 25 more. The operation means that the owners of these untaxed vehicles will not be able to get back on the road until they have paid their tax – on top of a large fine.

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Thames Valley Police ran a two-day operation

Officers are also conducting enquiries into a suspected assault on one of the DVLA staff involved in the operation.

On Wednesday, the officers carried on hunting for untaxed vehicles in Chesham and also spent some time in Amersham and the Chalfonts.

Dozens of untaxed vehicles were discovered by the officers

On their second day of work, another eight vehicles were taken away and 18 more were clamped.

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One owner was left feeling particularly hard done by when he had two vehicles taken away because he had not taxed either of them.

TVP teamed up with the DVLA to seek out the untaxed vehicles

25 vehicle owners were also fined during the two days.

It is illegal to drive on public roads in the UK without paying road tax – and there are only a few exceptions, including if you are driving to a pre-booked MOT test, or if your vehicle is fully electric.

A total of 16 vehicles were towed away

Even if your car is simply parked on the road, if it is not taxed, you are breaking the law.

The DVLA runs monthly computer checks on all registered vehicles in the UK, meaning it is pretty much impossible to get away without paying road tax. For your first offence, you will be sent an £80 fine in the post, but if you avoid paying it you could be taken to court and made to pay up to £1,000 in fines.

All kinds of vehicles were caught untaxed

The DVLA also has the power to clamp untaxed vehicles – as some of these drivers discovered this week.

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