DRIVERS were stung by the DVLA in Swindon town centre this morning.

Half a dozen cars were clamped by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, with signs left on windscreens telling the owners they had not paid their vehicle tax.

This afternoon six cars could still be seen with the wheel clamps on Newhall Street, Dryden Street and Deacon Street.

Neighbours said they had seen a DVLA officer checking cars at around 10am on Sunday morning.

'There's no excuse not to pay your tax'

A spokeswoman for the DVLA said: “While over 98 per cent of vehicles on the road are taxed correctly, it is right that we take action against those who don’t tax their vehicles and then drive them. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be fair to those who do the right thing.

“Clamping is one of a range of measures we use to make sure these untaxed vehicles are not driven on the road.

“We don’t need to spot a vehicle on the road to take enforcement action but if we do, wheel clamping is an effective way to make sure that an untaxed vehicle is not driven on the road.

“It’s never been easier to tax your car. It’s just a few clicks to do it online and you can do it 24 hours a day, you can also spread payments across the year by direct debit, so there really is no excuse. Having your vehicle clamped is expensive and inconvenient. Don’t take the risk. It just isn’t worth it.”

What to do if your vehicle has been clamped for unpaid tax

The first thing to do is to ring the number listed on the leaflet attached to your car by the DVLA. If your vehicle is clamped and you don’t pay for it to be released within 24 hours, it should be impounded and your car could be destroyed if it is left at the pound for more than seven days.

To get your car released you will need to pay a £100 release fee and get your car taxed.

For more on getting your car unclamped, visit: www.cartaxenforcement.co.uk.

And for more about vehicle tax, visit: www.gov.uk/vehicle-tax.