MORE than 30 motorists had their vehicles clamped today as a hard-hitting blitz on tax cheats took to North Yorkshire's roads.

Drivers were warned their vehicles could end up in the crusher if they continued to ignore warnings over road tax.

Police officers and Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) staff pulled vehicles off the road today.

They stopped everything from mopeds to tractors as officials on the A1237 near York scrutinised oncoming traffic.

Offending vehicles were clamped and motorists faced a wait in their cars as police went on to process their suspected offences.

Vehicles which proved to have fallen foul of the law were then impounded if the owners refused to pay.

Onward travel was provided for those unable to pay the penalties immediately.

A moped was taken to the pound, and a motorcyclist's trip to the Lake District was cut short by an out-of-date tax disc and licence plate offences.

Police slowed down vehicles and checked tax discs; motorists with out-of-date discs were pulled off the road for further checks.

If computer verification confirmed the offence, then the vehicles were clamped.

The roadside check is part of a two-week offensive against tax dodgers, which includes mobile clamping units striking on the streets of the county.

There are an estimated 30,000 road tax cheats on North Yorkshire's roads, costing £3 million in lost revenue.

Alongside the road tax cheats, police picked up other offences when vehicles were stopped.

It costs £80 to have a wheel clamp released or £160 impounding fee plus £15 per day storage if the vehicle remains unclaimed for more than 24 hours.

Vehicles left unclaimed after five weeks will be crushed or sold at auction - and evaders will face prosecution.

Sergeant Nigel Atkinson, from North Yorkshire Police, said: "This is the DVLA moving its office to the roadside. It is their operation, we are just assisting. But as we stopping vehicles because if their tax, we are picking up other offences."

He added that today's operation had proved a success.

"It is important that we get the message across that road tax must be paid," said the DVLA's enforcement manager John Moore.

"This is a very public way of inconveniencing and punishing offenders."

Updated: 14:41 Monday, July 02, 2001