TOUGH new steps to halt car dumping could save £2.7 million for North Yorkshire taxpayers and ease a growing environmental problem.

In North Yorkshire last year, about six-and-a-half per cent of cars were untaxed.

New Government measures, which will tighten the registration and licensing system, will come into effect in January. They include:

Making registered keepers legally responsible at all times for their vehicles

Ensuring this responsibility remains until the DVLA is notified that the vehicle has been scrapped, sold, stolen or exported

Automatic fines of £80 a time if motorists fail to licence their vehicles on time

Automatic issuing of the penalty as soon as tax expires.

Dumped cars cost York taxpayers more than £15,000 a year to remove.

Updated: 10:24 Friday, May 23, 2003