COUNCIL chiefs in York and North Yorkshire face a massive increase in the number of dumped cars, a Government advisory body warned today.

The Better Regulation Task Force said new EU regulations could lead to a repeat of last year's "fridge mountain" fiasco.

The task force urged the Government to learn from past mistakes and issue clear guidance on how to meet the new rules for disposing of cars and electrical goods.

Regulations to implement the new End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV) directive for passenger and light commercial vehicles are being introduced over the summer, according to the Task Force.

Until 2007, when the cost will be met by motor manufacturers, owners will be required to pay a charge estimated at £100 to recycle their car.

Councils fear this will lead to a huge increase in the number of abandoned cars as owners seek to avoid paying the charge.

Regulations on household appliances, IT equipment, lighting, tools and medical devices covered by the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive will come into force in August 2004.

It will cover any item with a plug or battery, from washing machines to computers, TVs and electric toothbrushes.

Manufacturers will have to bear the cost of stripping lead from computer and TV screens, along with other hazardous items such as mercury switches, batteries and electrical capacitors before the remaining waste is recycled.

But local authorities will be responsible for collecting the electrical waste.

Janet Russell, who led the task force's study of the directives, warned there was "widespread concern and uncertainty" about what investment and systems were needed by business and local government to comply with the directives.

She said: "The potential for things going wrong is even greater with these directives than it was for fridges.

"They cover many more products - from washing machines to electric toothbrushes; from micro-waves to toasters; and of course, old cars.

"Even at this stage in implementation of the directives, people still don't know exactly what they are meant to do, or when. Much of the infrastructure is not in place. The clock is ticking."

But she said: "There is still an opportunity that the Government can avoid another fridges fiasco by using the directives as an opportunity for the economy as well as the environment."

The Government was last year blamed for stockpiles of thousands of unwanted fridges which built up across the country.

DEFRA failed to issue guidance on how to deal with new EU rules on their disposal until weeks before they came into effect.

City of York Council had to be handed a £129,928 emergency grant to pay for the cost of storing fridges dumped in streets and on waste land.

North Yorkshire County Council was given £362,434.

Updated: 10:31 Monday, July 28, 2003