VICTIMS of motor crime and road tragedy say red tape and unexpected costs are adding to their heartache.

Motorists claim the North Yorkshire Police system of using a private firm to remove stolen or damaged vehicles from the streets is unreasonable and costly.

Drivers are angry that the police can remove cars for forensic examination, storage or to clear the road, at a cost to the owner that often runs into hundreds of pounds.

But the police argue that the service is vital for public safety, vehicle security and the fight against crime, while being run along strict national guidelines that control cost and service.

Cases brought to the attention of the Evening Press include:

The father of a 16-year-old girl killed in a tragic moped accident near Easingwold, charged £300 for its return

A bill of more than £100 for the family of a man who committed suicide in a fume-filled car

A York garage charged £180 after being prevented from using its own recovery vehicle to retrieve a car stolen from its forecourt.

Roy Stebbings, whose 16-year-old daughter Marie died when she was hit by a tractor near Easingwold, was "absolutely staggered" by the cost of returning her moped weeks later.

"I though this would come out of the police budget. I'm sure it could be done more economically but they have just farmed it out and let the public bear the cost," he said.

In York, a moped belonging to Dave Horncastle, 36, was found by police only two hours after it was stolen. But he had to wait until the next day to pick it up, at a cost of £130.

"The police didn't say anything about charges, they just said it would be ready to pick up the next day with little damage. But it was smashed to bits and I was left out of pocket," he said. A garage owner said the police did not give him an opportunity to use his own equipment to recover a Fiesta, stolen from his York garage and dumped on a nearby residential street.

"They are charging whatever they can because the insurance companies are involved. It's daylight robbery. It's an absolute rip off," he said.

North Yorkshire Police spokesman Ron Johnson said vehicles left in the road after accidents, breakdowns or as a result of a crime had to be dealt with for the safety of the public.

He said trained recovery workers used specialist equipment to preserve forensic evidence, and that the force no longer had the facilities or expertise to deal with vehicles.

The contractor's working practices and fees were in line with national guidelines, and that the public want to see police funds spent on fighting crime, not recovering cars.

Updated: 14:21 Friday, September 19, 2003