Mid Essex residents who want to report cars without road fund licences to the DVLA are having a taxing time.

Last week the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency launched a campaign to crack down on the county's 48,000 road fund dodgers who are evading £5.6million duty.

The ensuing publicity has heightened awareness and our readers have complained that they are having trouble trying to report road fund dodgers to the DVLA.

One caller said there were about 15 untaxed cars in his area and asked how could they be reported.

This Is Essex rang the Chelmsford DVLA number twice and let the phone ring for about four minutes on each occasion but there was no reply.

There was massive media publicity last week when the DVLA launched their Double Trouble campaign warning dodgers that their vehicles could be wheelclamped and crushed.

A £150,000 crusher which exerts a pressure of 150 tons per square inch and can crush a car in about two minutes was on show to media.

But following publication of a story and picture in This is Essex there were calls to ask how to report untaxed vehicles.

Following a call to the DVLA Publicity Unit in Swansea who asked us to ring another central number, we were told one of the inquiry team in Essex would contact the Chronicle.

We suggested a dedicated number, similar to Crimestoppers, should be used by the DVLA for people to report untaxed vehicles.

A DVLA spokesperson commented: "Unfortunately there is not a dedicated number. People need to write to report an untaxed vehicle to the Vehicle Registration Office, 2nd floor, Parkway House, 49 Baddow Road, Chelmsford, CM2 OXJ.

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