Ten motorists in Chelmsford found their cars clamped on Wednesday because they had no tax discs at the start of a huge summer clampdown in the county town.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority is out to beat the county's 43,000 road tax cheats who are robbing the Revenue of £5.2 million.

The drivers who had their cars clamped had 24 hours to have them taxed, pay a £68 release fee or pay £100 bond against renewing their tax in the near future.

Anyone not reacting immediately faces a £135 release fee plus a £12 a day impoundment charge -- plus the renewal cost of the road tax.

Vehicles left clamped for five weeks will either be auctioned or dumped in a crusher.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.