AT last, someone has taken action against those who deliberately flout the law by evading road tax (LET, August 14).

I am sure that the vast majority of people who pay their dues and demands, sometimes with a struggle, will applaud the actions of the DVLA.

In Nelson, you only have to walk around the town for a short while to see the extent of the ever-growing problem. Scotland Road is one example, with untaxed cars sometimes filling the layby near Oddie's bakery and the surrounding side streets.

Often these cars have price tags in the windscreen and belong to some sort of dealer. All I can say is that all too often it is impossible to park near the shops or bakery, because vehicles that have no right to be on the road are taking up all the spaces.

The law is clear - no vehicle should be on the public highway without a valid tax disc. That is without exception, even for dealers.

And if anyone in the motor trade has to use the public highway for storage, then they are trading from premises which are too small.

Imagine the outcry if the local builders merchant decided to store his 1,000-ton stock of sand and gravel in the road, because he was short of room. The local authority and the police would be on his case in minutes, and rightfully so. I have no sympathy for those who choose to break the law, especially those who want the law applied so long as it does not affect them.

The only pity is that all the vehicles the DVLA clamped were not towed away and crushed. That may have been a bitter reminder to others that they cannot continue to laugh in the face of those who obey the law.

I hope that when the DVLA team leaves town, the local police continue with a tough enforcement policy, and do not return to the "turn a blind eye" approach which has led to the situation we now find ourselves in - where those of us who pay for the roads cannot park for those who have no intention of doing so.

Name and address received

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.