ABANDONED and untaxed cars are being cleared from Southampton's streets in a renewed crackdown by the police and the City Council.

Police have launched Operation Cleansweep phase two, a two-day bid to rid the city of old and unwanted cars yesterday.

Officers joined forces with Southampton City Council and recycling company Charles Trent aiming to clean-up every unwanted car from the city's roads.

Many abandoned vehicles are the target of arson attacks and vandalism and become an eyesore.

Inspector Gary Cooper, of Portswood police station, is leading the operation.

He said: "We are identifying places with proven youth nuisance problems and antisocial behaviour. Today I expect we will take away about 20 to 25 cars."

During the past three months 2,453 vehicles were reported dumped on the city's streets. Last month alone 650 vehicles in the city had 'police aware' stickers placed on them with the threat that they would be towed away.

Yesterday's operation began in Broadlands Road, in Portswood, where two cars were immediately removed to be sent to the crushing machine. After moving on to Bassett, Operation Cleansweep moved to Millbrook today.

This is the second time in just over a year that the police have cracked down on abandoned and untaxed cars.

A council initiative launched in 1999 established an abandoned vehicle team, which is constantly tackling the city's plague of abandoned cars.

City council Cabinet member for environment and transport Richard Williams, said: "We are continuing to concentrate our attention on the unsightly and potentially dangerous issue of abandoned vehicles.

"The public can be reassured this new cleansweep operation is a continuation of our commitment to ridding the streets of Southampton of abandoned vehicles as quickly as possible.

"This crackdown will save having to call out fire engines at a cost of £250 an hour."

From a vehicle being stickered with a destruction notice to its removal takes 24 hours. Processing and disposal of the vehicle takes just eight days.

If people want to reclaim a car that has been towed away they will need to visit the civic centre offices and pay any necessary fines and administration costs, which could run into hundreds of pounds.