BURY Council is to be given greater powers to punish drivers who illegally dump their cars.

Almost 18,000 vehicles in the north west were abandoned in 2002/03, compared to more than 10,000 the previous year, prompting the Government to announce a new crackdown to rid Britain's streets of nuisance vehicles.

Local authorities will be given greater powers to fine offenders, and the general public are being urged to dispose of vehicles responsibly.

The tough new approach is aimed at reversing the growing trend of cars being illegally abandoned, which then become a magnet for crime, anti-social behaviour and arson.

It will mean untaxed and unregistered vehicles will be removed more quickly from streets and public spaces.

Fresh powers will include:

l Giving local authorities more powers to immediately seize and destroy vehicles causing a nuisance

l Making the polluter pay with increased fees and charges to better reflect the cost of removal and storage

l Paying for experts to share their learning through a new advisory service, supporting local authorities in tackling the problem.

Investigating and removing nuisance vehicles currently costs local authorities across the country £26 million annually. Vehicle arson costs £230 million a year to clean up. Failure to tax vehicles adds up to a £93 million bill in lost revenue.

Unlicensed and uninsured drivers are estimated to add £30 to every motor insurance policy.