HAS your beloved old motor finally given up the ghost and conked out for the very last time?

Well worry not, because Uttlesford District Council can arrange for it to be picked up and taken away to be scrapped for you - FREE of charge.

The European Union’s End of Life Vehicles Directive provides funding for local authorities to arrange for the collection and recycling of unwanted cars and vans.

It is estimated that such vehicles create between eight and nine million tonnes of waste across the EU every YEAR.

Uttlesford ’s appointed car scrapping contractors are Takeley-based C&C Motors. If you want to arrange for your old car or van to be taken away by them and scrapped at no cost to you all you need to provide are the following:

• The keys to the vehicle

• The vehicle’s log book and

• A letter confirming that you are happy for us to dispose of the vehicle on your behalf.

It is a criminal offence to abandon a motor vehicle and if you admit to, or are convicted of, doing so, you could face a fine of up to £2,500.

The council has powers under the Refuse Disposal Amenity Act 1978 to seize abandoned vehicles and remove them.

Only recently it used these powers to scrap a Chrysler PT Cruiser which had been dumped in a car park adjoining Bridge End Garden in Saffron Walden. The vehicle had sustained substantial damage – its tyres were missing, all its windows had been smashed, its number plates had been ripped off and it had been daubed with graffiti.

Cllr Alastair Walters, cabinet member for Community Safety, said: “There’s absolutely no excuse for dumping unwanted vehicles.

“Why risk a hefty fine and disposal charges when all you’ve got to do is contact us and we’ll arrange for your old car or van to be scrapped safely free of charge?

“Abandoned vehicles not only look unsightly they also pose a very real safety hazard to young children who might be tempted to play on or near them.

“This council will act swiftly to remove abandoned vehicles when we’re notified about them and we won’t hesitate to prosecute the owners.”

To arrange for your old car or van to be safely disposed at no cost contact the council’s enforcement team on 01799 510326 or via e-mail at enforcement@uttlesford.gov.uk