Two rusting car wrecks, left next to a main road on the outskirts of Witham since the spring, have escaped a council clear-up because the land owner wants them there.

Braintree District Council claimed last week that there had been a dramatic drop in the number of dumped cars.

Tough government targets and a database link to the DVLA, announced last autumn, have allowed the council to remove abandoned and wrecked cars much quicker than before.

Burnt-out cars, badly damaged vehicles or those with three or more parts missing can be moved within five days. Vehicles dumped on public land can be moved within 10 days, on private in 21.

The ambitious targets pledge that all cars dumped on major routes like the A12, A120 and A131 should be removed within 48 hours of locating and marking them.

So why have the two burnt-out cars been left for so long in the gateway to a field off the Lynfield slip road to the A12 at Witham?

Braintree Council environmental protection officer Di Parsons said the cars had not been dumped randomly - the land owner had put them there to stop travellers from gaining access to the adjoining field.

"He had to clear the field of rubbish after a band of travellers occupied it last year," she said. "He placed the two cars across the entrance to stop it happening again.

"They are an eyesore, but we are not allowed to move cars from private land unless requested to do so by the owner."

John Wood, who farms Wood End Farm, owns the land. "I know the cars look awful," he said. "But the police told me to secure the land if I wanted to keep the travellers off, and that a locked gate would not be enough. The old cars may look bad and I don't approve of leaving them there, but they do keep the land secure."

Published Thursday, January 30, 2003

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