Police seized 21 untaxed vehicles in Sparkbrook in just one day, but readers have been taking to our comments section to have their say on the crackdownNews
David Prince and Birmingham Live readers
05:22, 12 Apr 2025
Head of the roads policing unit, Supt Gareth Mason, alongside PCC Simon Foster (Image: West Midlands Police)
The recent crackdown on unroadworthy vehicles in Birmingham sparked a lively debate among Birmingham Live readers, with many calling for more frequent operations to tackle the issue.
This week, police seized dozens of vehicles, with Sparkbrook emerging as a hotspot for untaxed cars.
According to a West Midlands Police spokesperson: “Acting on concerns about vehicle crime is a top priority for us, and this week neighbourhood officers in Birmingham have recovered and seized dozens of vehicles.
“In just one day, the Sparkbrook neighbourhood team recovered 21 vehicles which weren’t taxed. Our officers know this has been an ongoing concern for people in the area, and more operations are planned to deal with the issue.”
Readers were largely supportive of the police efforts, with some arguing that this should be a regular occurrence. With one reader, And away…. asking: “More please – get illegal cars and drivers off the road. WMP know the areas to target (as we all do) so get on with it. This should be business as usual, not a special effort.”
NK01 adds: “Firstly, it’s about time WMP targeted these areas but alas it’s the tip of the iceberg. It’s no use clamping down hard one day a year & ticking a spreadsheet to say yes we’ve done our bit of Road Policing for 2025. They need to keep at it. Why, you may ask? It’s their bloody job. We need pro active policing not just response policing.”
Tooldtoworry says: “Just think of the revenue the council could raise if it issued parking tickets or even impounded the vehicles.”
Mack171 thinks: “Now just get the Police out on the road and prosecute drivers recklessly speeding and driving.”
Geese100 points out: “21 vehicles, doesn’t even touch the problem.”
Maz12 believes: “It is about time police stop ignoring you when you report badly parked vehicles. They should remove them and charge a large amount for their return.”
Davedavedav writes: “Great. Now go back there today. And tomorrow. And every day. It’s not enough going once every year. Crime is rampant in these areas because police are non existent.”
N8935f agrees: “Police should be looking out for these vehicles every day, not just every now and then.”
Centralbrummie adds: “Isn’t this what the police should be doing every day, rather than just an overtime led ‘special operation’ every few months? There are tens of thousands of illegal vehicles on the streets of the West Midlands, as they well know.”
Aldorfo writes: “Great news, keep at it, get all the illegal drivers off the roads. Then perhaps BCC won’t need to enforce 20mph roads , reduction of dual carriageways to 30mph and average speed cameras everywhere. But then none of those things affect the illegal drivers anyway, yet genuine drivers are attacked because of their antics.”
MaxPayne disagrees: “Instead of persecuting innocent motorists, perhaps the plod should do some proper policing.”
Oneofmany replies: “But they aren’t ‘innocent motorists’, they are breaking the law. If they don’t pay tax, they probably won’t have insurance either. Maybe not even a driving licence. ‘Innocent motorists’ like these are what put up the insurance premiums for the rest of us.”
So is this a start for West Midlands Police in the right direction, or not enough to make a difference? Join in the conversation HERE or in the comments below.