More than 214k vehicles seized by police forces last year - here's what happens to the vehicles next

Police forces across Britain seized more than 214,000 vehicles from the road last year.

Cars can be taken away from owners by officers if they have failed to tax or insure the motor, are driving without a licence or after a vehicle has been recovered having been stolen - or crashed and removed from the scene.

The highest concentration of vehicle seizures occurred in Dundee, with 23,344 vehicles possessed by the police force in 2023, an investigation has found.

And of the 214,051 vehicles seized by 23 of the nation's police forces, one in six (16.6 per cent) were destroyed soon after.

(Data provided by 23 police forces across the UK shows that at least 214,000 vehicles were seized from their owners last year)

The figures have been shared by National Scrap Car submitted, which issued a Freedom of Information request to all 45 police forces in the UK - though just half responded with usable data.

The results revealed that uninsured or untaxed vehicles, road traffic collisions and stolen vehicles were the most common causes for the forces to take action.

After Dundee, West Midlands had the highest volume of vehicles seized by police with 23,203 cases, just ahead of Greater Manchester with 22,317.

Dorry Potter, car expert at National Scrap Car, says that once a vehicle has been impounded by the police, some are returned to their owners while others are sold at auction and others are scrapped. 

'This all depends on the state of the vehicle, along with whether the original owner of the vehicle can be contacted,' she explained.

(Vehicles are also seized if they've been stolen and recovered - or crashed)

(Of the 214,051 vehicles seized by 23 of the nation's police forces, one in six (16.6%) were destroyed soon after)

(Vehicles can be seized by police if identified as having no tax or insurance, or if the person behind the wheel is found to not have a full driving licence)

(The data revealed that three in five (59%) of the reported seized vehicles were returned to their owners)

Ref: More than 214k vehicles seized by police forces last year - here's what happens to the vehicles next (dailymail)

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